AustroMars was a project of the Austrian Space Forum, which was conducted in April 2006 in the desert of Utah. All important information to this project can be found in the following pages.

After two years of work, the AustroMars mission simulation with 145 volunteers and 20 experiments has been summarized in the Mission Report ...

Mars is the next logical step in the exploration programmes : in order to stimulate the necessary technology developments, the US-based Mars Society operates a Mars-Analogue Station in the desert of southern Utah since 2000, where short-duration surface missions are simulated.

In April 2006, the „AustroMars“ expedition has carried out such a simulation: the crew, support personnel as well as the majority of experiments was coming from Austria. The Mission Control Center was located in Salzburg (Austria), while the simulation took place. The project is to be understood as a technology testbed for Mars analogue sciences, and, at the same time, a showcase of national research capabilities.

Besides scientific stimuli, Austromars enhances –in connection with a plethora of media- and outreach activities- the public perception of space activities and presents a vivid austrian research landscape as a small, but significant european player in exploration activities.