The AMADEE-24 Mars mission simulation has been taking place in Armenia, managed by the Austrian Space Forum and hosted by the Armenia Aerospace Agency. A small field crew of highly trained analog astronauts conducted experiments preparing for future human and robotic Mars exploration missions. ISR-Lisboa researcher Margarida Pereira was at the Mission Support Center (MSC), the base of contact with the mission team, and told us about her experience.

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During the AMADEE 24 mission the analog astronauts and a team of GOSTs – a stealth team helping with whatever is needed – are in Armenia. But in Vienna, another big team bursts with excitement at the control center. Just like a base camp on Mars with a control center on Earth, messages are sent to and from these two points with a 10-minute delay.

One of the mission’s highlights is the MEROP project of which ISR-Lisboa researchers are a part.  Represented at the location by Margarida Pereira, the MEROP team has showcased remarkable teamwork and participation since the mission’s launch. The project aims to improve the teleoperation of mobile robots through enhanced interfaces by exploring multimodal feedback (visual and haptic), augmented reality, and operators’ physiological signals. The MEROP team of researchers is led by Rodrigo Ventura and José Luís Silva, from Instituto Superior Técnico, the Institute for Systems and Robotics, Interactive Technologies Institute, and ISCTE-IUL.

At the MSC in Vienna, each member of the team plays a vital role in ensuring seamless coordination and effective communication. “The communication delay adds pressure to problem-solving efforts”, Margarida explained. “We must respond quickly to any issues or queries from the astronaut team, knowing that even a brief delay could have significant consequences”. Researcher Rute Luz was also present at the MSC to give an overview of the project – from March 16 to 24 – and Gonçalo Coelho joined Margarida from April 2 until the mission’s end.

The experiments will run until April 5th and, so far, this has been one of the most significant challenges. Margarida shared that she has been learning a lot from this experience: “In the chat with the astronauts, we have to communicate as if we were a single entity. In other words, when I write a message for them to send, certain things are changed so that the communication isn’t ambiguous. And the way they communicate, even in this room, is very much like you see in the movies. They say things like ok, copy that”.

As the AMADEE-24 mission enters its final days, the collaborative efforts between the MEROP team and the Austrian Space Forum have yielded great insights into the complexities of Space exploration. The analog astronauts gave great feedback about the platform and the challenges encountered along the way have only strengthened the team’s resolve, fueling their optimism for future Mars exploration endeavours.