Österreichisches Weltraum Forum / Austrian Space Forum

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Österreichisches Weltraum Forum / Austrian Space Forum

We are one of the world’s leading institutions conducting Mars analog missions, thus paving the way for the future human Mars exploration.

Experts from a broad variety of disciplines as well as the spaceflight sector contribute to scientific research. In summary, the Austrian Space Forum is...
+ a volunteer space organization, led by space professionals,
+ focussing on space research (e.g. human-robotic Mars exploration) and outreach/education
+ an independant organisation funded via research projects, donations and outreach activities.

17/06/2026

🚀 Two summer schools. One in Athens, one in Monsaraz. Both bringing Mars into the classroom.

This summer, educators across Europe have the opportunity to connect space science with innovative teaching through two European summer schools: STEMMOS and SPHERE.

📍 STEMMOS takes place in Athens, Greece.
📍 SPHERE takes place in Monsaraz, Portugal — the future site of the Austrian Space Forum's AMADEE-27 Mars analog mission next year.

By bringing together educators, researchers, and STEM specialists, these programmes help transform the excitement of space exploration into engaging classroom experiences.

From Mars analog missions to hands-on STEM learning, the next generation of explorers starts with inspired teachers.

🌍 Because the future of space exploration begins in the classroom.

15/06/2026

🔴 Every mission patch tells a story. When we design a mission, we aren't just planning checklists and hardware tests; we are building a visual concept. The AMADEE-27 patch is more than a piece of embroidered cloth - it is a visual manifesto of our journey toward the Red Planet.

Here's what our AMADEE-27 patch means:
🌍 The Golden Armillary Sphere: A tribute to our host nation, Portugal. Just as 15th-century explorers used the armillary sphere to navigate the unknown oceans, we use it today to bridge the gap between maritime history and space navigation. It reminds us that exploration is in our DNA - whether across the Atlantic or across the vacuum of space.
⚙️ The Gear: Space exploration is a masterpiece of technical synergy. The gear represents the precision of robotic engineering and the cutting-edge technology that supports our crews. In the harsh environment of a Mars analog, the seamless integration of human intent and machine ex*****on is what ensures mission success.
⭐ The Compass Star: At the center of it all is the Compass Star, representing the Analog Astronaut. While the robots provide the tools, the human is the heart of the mission. The star symbolizes the courage, curiosity, and direction provided by the men and women who step into the spacesuit to lead the way for future generations.

What does this say about AMADEE-27? We honor the explorers who came before us, we embrace the technology of tomorrow, and we keep the human element at the core of everything we do.

👉 Want to dive deeper into the mission? Check out the official AMADEE-27 page here: https://ow.ly/YB8R50Zbq2V

14/06/2026

Four space agencies. Four missions. One technique.
Raman spectroscopy has become the instrument of choice for planetary mineral analysis — and the numbers show it. NASA's Perseverance rover has been scanning rocks at Jezero Crater since 2021 with its SHERLOC instrument, looking for minerals and potential organic compounds. ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover, launching in 2028, carries a dedicated Raman Laser Spectrometer. The rover's drill can reach two meters into the Martian subsurface to collect samples, which are then crushed and delivered to an onboard Analytical Laboratory — where the RLS identifies mineral phases and detects carbon compounds at grain scale. JAXA's MMX mission, scheduled to launch in October 2026, will carry a Raman instrument to Phobos. China's Chang'e-7 is sending one to the lunar south pole, also launching in 2026.

The reason they all converge on the same technique: Raman spectroscopy identifies minerals by measuring how laser light scatters off molecules. No sample destruction. No preparation. A result in seconds.

That also makes it ideal for analog training. Before a real instrument lands on another world, mission operators need to practice reading its data and making decisions under field conditions. That is exactly what we want to test during .

📷: AI generated

12/06/2026

Summer Intern Report | Synthetic Raman Spectrometer for AMADEE-27☀️
Requirements are not lines on a document. They drive every engineering choice.

That is what Cassandra is learning this summer, designing "Caillou" — a Raman spectrometer concept for AMADEE-27. Her task: create an instrument that lets mission operators practice geological decision-making in the field, without needing space-grade hardware worth hundreds of thousands of euros.

The first design was built around one specific rover. Then a conversation with another experiment team changed everything. The instrument had to work on any rover, on any platform, or be carried by hand by an analog astronaut. That one shift rewrote the entire design. Suddenly 500g and 20W were not just target specs — they were the constraints that determined what was even feasible.
The concept: point the instrument at a rock target, fire a laser, return a synthetic spectrum from a pre-defined library. No real chemical analysis. Just enough to make the science team think, decide, and practice — which is exactly what an analog mission is for.
Cassandra is one of our summer interns at OeWF. More reports coming. 🔬
🔗 Full blog post: https://oewf.org/en/2026/06/synthetic-raman-spectrometer-for-amadee-27/

10/06/2026

An ESA astronaut will pilot the next Orion mission. NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration has named the Artemis III crew.

The four-person crew was announced yesterday evening at Johnson Space Center in Houston: Commander Randy Bresnik (NASA), Pilot Luca Parmitano (ESA - European Space Agency) and Mission Specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas (NASA). Bob Hines serves as backup. 🦾

Artemis III, targeted for late 2027, will not land on the Moon. Under the revised mission profile, the crew launches on Orion and rehearses rendezvous and docking with a commercial lunar lander in Earth orbit. The rehearsal reduces risk before astronauts attempt the actual landing on Artemis IV in 2028.

The European contribution runs deep. Parmitano flies as pilot. The European Service Module, built by ESA and Airbus, provides Orion's propulsion. The commercial landers being tested come from SpaceX and Blue Origin. This is coordinated hardware from multiple continents, not a single-agency effort.

Artemis III follows the successful Artemis II crewed lunar flyby in April 2025, which set the record for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/xjgh50Z9Ogu
📷: NASA

09/06/2026

🚀 Asclepios student analog mission number 6 is gearing up, with OeWF member Marla as analog astronaut.

From 10–28 July 2026, the Asclepios VI analog mission will take place at Sasso San Gottardo, Switzerland. As part of the international crew, OeWF team member Marla will serve as an analog astronaut in a mission designed to simulate aspects of future human space exploration.

Analog missions are valuable platforms for testing operational procedures, studying crew dynamics, and advancing research relevant to planetary exploration while providing hands-on experience for the next generation of space professionals.

📅 Mission dates: 10–28 July 2026
📍 Sasso San Gottardo, Switzerland
📰 Open Day: 12 July 2026, with media and journalists on site

We wish Marla and the entire Asclepios VI team a successful mission and look forward to sharing updates throughout July.

08/06/2026

🚀 Tirol trifft Mars ! Wir durften unsere Weltraum-Visionen mit einem ganz besonderen Gast teilen: Landesrätin Hagele war zu Besuch, um das Junior Analog Astronauts-Programm 2026 (JAA26) hautnah zu erleben. 🇦🇹🎉

„Schon immer haben die Menschen den Blick auf die Sterne gerichtet. Das Österreichische Weltraum Forum lässt diesen Funken überspringen – und begeistert junge Köpfe für Mathematik, Informatik, Naturwissenschaft und Technik. Im Innsbrucker ÖWF-Labor gewinnen Schülerinnen und Schüler erste Einblicke in die Weltraumforschung und stärken ihre MINT-Kompetenzen. Genau solche Impulse braucht Tirol als Forschungs- und Innovationsstandort“, betont LRin Hagele.

Das JAA26-Programm richtet sich an Oberstufenschülerinnen und -schüler aus dem Tiroler ÖWF Schulnetzwerk. Statt breiter Streuung setzen wir auf intensive Kooperationen mit fünf ausgewählten Pilotschulen. ÖWF-Experten kommen direkt in die Schulen und vermitteln, warum Raumfahrt auch für Tirol relevant ist – von der Mars-Exploration bis hin zu Satellitendaten, die den Gletscherschwund überwachen, den Lawinenschutz verbessern und die Landwirtschaft unterstützen. Ergänzend wird das EXPLORE Mission Toolkit im Unterricht eingesetzt und durch ÖWF-Personal begleitet.

Weitere Details zum JAA26-Programm: https://ow.ly/TG3350Z8uYN

Pressemeldung des Landes Tirol: Von Innsbruck zum „Mars“: https://ow.ly/paY150Z8uYM

📸: @ Land Tirol/Neuner
Bild 1 (v. l.): LRin Cornelia Hagele, „Junior Analog Astronaut“ Lena Kappeller und ÖWF-Direktor Gernot Grömer

07/06/2026

Analog Astronaut training for our new class has started.

Who are they? We'll introduce the class on 19 June.

05/06/2026

What is Europe’s path to Mars? Discover different viewpoints during this free webinar.
On 16 June at 20:30 CEST, the first pan-European Mars webinar brings together national Mars Society chapters from Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Poland and Switzerland for an evening of science, research and shared direction.
Austria will be represented by OeWF Director Gernot Grömer, who will speak about analog Mars simulations as a gateway to mission success.
Six speakers. Six countries. One shared goal.
Register at europe2mars.space

Mars Planet Technologies

04/06/2026

The Moon is no longer just a destination. NASA just laid out the plan to stay. 🌙

The new page is worth a look: https://ow.ly/K4T450Z7vMT
On 26 May, NASA published its Moon Base architecture - a phased plan to establish a sustained human presence at the lunar South Pole. It starts with robotic missions and technology demonstrations, moves into semi-permanent infrastructure, and builds toward a place where Artemis astronauts will live and work. The first mission is targeted for fall 2026. 🤖

The announcement carries real weight. Two decades of analog research - suit testing on glaciers, simulated missions in desert fields, the steady refinement of EVA procedures, and crew operations far from home - have been pointing toward exactly this. Toward staying. Toward building. 🧑‍🚀

A permanent outpost involves a lot of practical problems: closed-loop life support, dust mitigation, human-robotic teaming, and operational procedures that hold up under real conditions. These are the questions analog research is built to address, and they make up much of our day-to-day work. 🦾

One detail stood out: NASA is explicit that this cannot be done alone. Industry, academia, and international partners are part of the plan from day one. Which means there is room - for ideas, for science, and for the next generation of researchers and engineers who will carry this forward.
The next era of exploration isn't about getting there. It's about what is built once arrival happens. 🚀

🔗 https://ow.ly/K4T450Z7vMT
📷: NASA

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