Gebrüder Weiss: Austrian Space Forum for Mars Analog Mission dress rehearsal in Vienna

Visitors at Maria Lanzendorf test site experience the future of mobility in space travel at a special event

As the official logistics partner of the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF), Gebrüder Weiss turned its Maria Lanzendorf location into a test site for the Mars Analog Mission AMADEE-24 from January 26 to 28. The research team and the Analog astronauts of the OeWF conducted a comprehensive dress rehearsal with the equipment and the scientific experiments for the Mission. On Sunday, January 27, during a special open house event, science, space travel, and the future of mobility came alive for the company’s employees and their families.

“This is the second time that we are supporting the Austrian Space Forum with our transport and logistics expertise. We consider it important to participate in shaping the future of mobility and to also enable our employees to experience the same up close. As the world’s oldest transport and logistics company, we feel a commitment in this respect,” says Jürgen Bauer, a member of the Management Board of Gebrüder Weiss.

AMADEE-24 is the most complex Mars Analog Mission to date. During the dress rehearsal, the OeWF tests to ensure that both the astronauts and equipment are fit for a one-month mission in complete isolation. Last weekend, visitors enjoyed a live experience, watching how scientists work, seeing how difficult it is to put on a spacesuit, and what an astronaut’s watch needs to be like to withstand the extreme conditions prevailing in outer space.

“This dress rehearsal is very important to us. It shows us where we stand at the moment, and what still needs to be done before we start the actual simulation in Armenia early in March. The high interest on the part of visitors and the support provided by Gebrüder Weiss offer us some tailwind for the most complex mission that we have carried out so far,” Gernot Grömer, Director of the OeWF, comments on AMADEE-24.

The one-month Mars simulation will take place in the desert region around Armash, Armenia, in March. Logistics plays an important role in implementing the project. Gebrüder Weiss will bring the sensitive equipment from Maria Lanzendorf to Armenia, taking care of safely packing spacesuits, rovers and drones, as well as managing customs clearance and delivery of the goods. This challenging Mission highlights the logistics company’s expertise in the field of special transports, as well as its extensive know-how in the Caucasus region. Gebrüder Weiss has its own locations in Georgia and Armenia that cooperate closely with Viennese colleagues on the AMADEE-24 Mission.

“We have assembled a team of experts from all three countries for this pioneering mission. They are going to treat the two sea freight containers like spaceships, bringing them safely to the mission site and back,” says Franco Ravazzolo, Department Manager of Projects & Break Bulk at Gebrüder Weiss.

The trip from Austria via Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Türkiye, and Georgia to the final destination in the Armenian desert of Armash is starting this week. The transport back in May will also be handled by Gebrüder Weiss. Information about the Mars Analog Mission AMADEE-24 will be posted on the logistics expert’s social media channels regularly.