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G. Grömer, A. Soucek, N. Frischauf, W. Stumptner, C. Ragonig, S. Sams, T. Bartenstein, S. Häuplik-Meusburger, P. Petrova, S. Evetts, C. Sivenesan et al.:
"The Mars2014 Analog Mission";
Astrobiology (invited), 14 (2014), 5; 360 - 376.

We report on the MARS2013 mission, a 4-week Mars analog field test in the northern Sahara. Nineteen
experiments were conducted by a field crew in Morocco under simulated martian surface exploration condi-
tions, supervised by a Mission Support Center in Innsbruck, Austria. A Remote Science Support team analyzed
field data in near real time, providing planning input for the management of a complex system of field assets;
two advanced space suit simulators, four robotic vehicles, an emergency shelter, and a stationary sensor
platform in a realistic work flow were coordinated by a Flight Control Team. A dedicated flight planning group,
external control centers for rover tele-operations, and a biomedical monitoring team supported the field op-
erations. A 10 min satellite communication delay and other limitations pertinent to human planetary surface
activities were introduced. The fields of research for the experiments were geology, human factors, astrobi-
ology, robotics, tele-science, exploration, and operations research.
This paper provides an overview of the geological context and environmental conditions of the test site and the
mission architecture, in particular the communication infrastructure emulating the signal travel time between
Earth and Mars. We report on the operational work flows and the experiments conducted, including a deployable
shelter prototype for multiple-day extravehicular activities and contingency situations. Key Words: Mars-
Exploration-Human missions-Analog research-Deployable emergency shelter. Astrobiology 14, 360-376

We report on the MARS2013 mission, a 4-week Mars analog field test in the northern Sahara. Nineteen
experiments were conducted by a field crew in Morocco under simulated martian surface exploration condi-
tions, supervised by a Mission Support Center in Innsbruck, Austria. A Remote Science Support team analyzed
field data in near real time, providing planning input for the management of a complex system of field assets;
two advanced space suit simulators, four robotic vehicles, an emergency shelter, and a stationary sensor
platform in a realistic work flow were coordinated by a Flight Control Team. A dedicated flight planning group,
external control centers for rover tele-operations, and a biomedical monitoring team supported the field op-
erations. A 10 min satellite communication delay and other limitations pertinent to human planetary surface
activities were introduced. The fields of research for the experiments were geology, human factors, astrobi-
ology, robotics, tele-science, exploration, and operations research.
This paper provides an overview of the geological context and environmental conditions of the test site and the
mission architecture, in particular the communication infrastructure emulating the signal travel time between
Earth and Mars. We report on the operational work flows and the experiments conducted, including a deployable
shelter prototype for multiple-day extravehicular activities and contingency situations. Key Words: Mars-
Exploration-Human missions-Analog research-Deployable emergency shelter. Astrobiology 14, 360-376

Mars, Exploration, Human Misssions, Analog Research, Deployable emergency shelter

http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ast.2013.1062

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293263350_The_MARS2013_Mars_Analog_Mission_vol_14_pg_360_2014