Gebrüder Weiss Supports OeWF Mars Analog Mission

The logistics and transport experts at Gebrüder Weiss will assist the globally unique mission of transporting equipment together with 16 international scientific experiments for the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) as it carries out its 13th simulation of a crewed Mars mission from October 15 to November 15. Numerous international research institutions are involved in the “Amadee-20” mission and four of Gebrüder Weiss’s apprentices will also prepare all the logistics and handle the customs formalities for this unusual transport of sensitive materials from Austria to the testing site in Israel’s Negev desert.

Dr. Gernot Grömer, Director of the OeWF says, “There are our two spacesuit simulators as well as highly sensitive equipment for 16 experiments being conducted by our international research partners for the Amadee-20 mission. Two sea freight containers are needed to transport the equipment. We have found a reliable partner in Gebrüder Weiss, one of Europe’s leading transport and logistics companies, the company is as focused on quality and precision as the Austrian Space Forum.”

“The exacting requirements of the Mars analog mission are a welcome opportunity for us to showcase our logistics expertise. We have purposefully chosen our trainees for this challenge as we believe in providing opportunities for our next generation of logistics experts. They need to experience the weight of responsibility to become trailblazers of tomorrow. Our four apprentices will be responsible, under supervision, for handling all logistical tasks, customs formalities, and the transport of the mission equipment,” says Armin Ploner, Branch Manager Air & Sea at Gebrüder Weiss in Hall.
What is analog research?
Dr. Gernot Grömer, Director of the OeWF says, “Analog research is designed to test concepts, working procedures and equipment to find the weak spots so the actual mission can be realized as safely as possible,” says Dr. Gernot Grömer, Administrative Director of the Austrian Space Forum and continues,“ the purpose of simulating a Mars-mission on Earth is to prepare for future crewed missions on the Red Planet. To perform the experiments, the OeWF is one of only five research groups worldwide that has developed a prototype spacesuit which is worn by the OeWF’s analog astronauts during their mission.”

About Amadee-20
The Austrian Space Forum will lead the international Mars analog mission “Amadee-20” from October 15 to November 15 in a Mars-like area of the Negev desert in Israel, during which experiments from Austria, Germany, France, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the USA will be conducted by six specially trained OeWF analog astronauts. These experts will wear the spacesuit simulator “Aouda”, developed by the OeWF as one of only five such organizations around the world. The analog astronauts (field crew) in Israel will be supported by the Mission Support Center in Innsbruck, where several teams are responsible, among other things, for providing the field crew with scientific support, drawing up the mission schedule, backing up the collected data and monitoring the medical conditions of the field crew. Amadee-20 is the OeWF’s 13th Mars analog mission.

About the Austrian Space Forum (Österreichisches Weltraum Forum, OeWF)
The Austrian Space Forum is one of the world’s leading institutions conducting Mars analog missions, thus paving the way for the future human exploration of the Red Planet. Experts from a broad variety of disciplines as well as the spaceflight sector constitute the core of the OeWF’s continued endeavors that on a regular basis include national and international institutions from science and industry to work at the cutting edge of scientific research. On doing so the Austrian Space Forum is using its excellent contacts to opinion leaders, politics and media to further and internationally propagate Austrian top-level research. The Austrian Space Forum also contributes significantly to inspiring and educating young people in the sectors of science, technology and engineering. The OeWF offers internships to students and pupils, its experts supervise scientific papers on a regular basis.

Media contact:
Mag. Monika Fischer
Media Officer
Austrian Space Forum
Tel. +43 699 1213 4610
monika.fischer@oewf.org
www.oewf.org

Photo Caption: Team Gebrüder Weiss meets analogue astronauts of the Amadee-20 mission at the Mission Support Center of the ÖWF in Innsbruck. With his apprentices and team members, Armin Ploner (front left), Branch Manager Air & Sea at Gebrüder Weiss in Hall, takes over the sensitive mission equipment from Austrian analogue astronaut Dr. Robert Wild on behalf of his team. (Source: ÖWFvog.photo)

About Gebrüder Weiss
Gebrüder Weiss, a global freight forwarder with a core business of overland transport, air, and sea freight and logistics, is the world's oldest transport company with a history that dates back more than 500 years. The family-owned company employs more than 7,300 people worldwide and boasts 150 company-owned locations. The business established a presence in the United States in Chicago in 2017 and has since expanded its North American locations to include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. Developing and changing with the needs of its customers during its long history, Gebrüder Weiss is also a pioneer in sustainable business practices having implemented myriad ecological, economic, and social initiatives. The company's voyage into North America, along with its continuous growth, illustrates the need for highly experienced providers of global solutions through an international network of supply chain experts. Customized solutions with a single point of contact, provide customers with an exceptional service experience focused on responsible and economical solutions.