Gebrüder Weiss Establishes Test Site for Mars Mission

As the official logistics partner of the Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF), Gebrüder Weiss turned its location in Maria Lanzendorf into a test site for the analog Mars mission AMADEE-24 from January 26 to 28. During a comprehensive dress rehearsal, the research team and the analog astronauts of the ÖWF operated all the equipment and scientific experiments. At an open house on Sunday, science, space travel, and the future of mobility became tangible for employees and their families as well.

(Lauterach/Maria Lanzendorf) “We are supporting the Austrian Space Forum for the second time with our transport and logistics expertise. It is important to us to help shape the future of mobility and make it tangible for our employees. As the oldest transport and logistics company in the world, we feel committed to this task,” says Jürgen Bauer, a member of the management board of Gebrüder Weiss.

AMADEE-24 is the most complex Mars analog mission to date. With the dress rehearsal, the ÖWF tests whether astronauts and equipment are ready for the one-month mission in complete isolation. Visitors were able to experience live last weekend how the researchers work, how difficult it is to slip into a spacesuit, and what an astronaut watch must be like to withstand the extreme conditions of space. “This dress rehearsal is very important for us. It shows us where we currently stand and what still needs to be done before we begin the actual simulation in Armenia at the beginning of March. The great interest of the visitors and the support from Gebrüder Weiss give us momentum for the most complex mission we have ever undertaken,” says Gernot Grömer, director of the ÖWF about AMADEE-24.

The one-month Mars simulation will take place in March in the desert region around Armash in Armenia. Logistics plays an important role in the implementation of the project. Gebrüder Weiss is transporting the sensitive equipment from Maria Lanzendorf to Armenia, taking care of the safe packaging of the spacesuits, rovers, and drones, as well as customs clearance and delivery of the goods. The logistics company excels with its expertise in special transports, but especially with its extensive know-how in the Caucasus region. Gebrüder Weiss has its own locations in Georgia and Armenia, which work closely with the Vienna colleagues during AMADEE-24.

Expert Team from Three Countries

“For this forward-looking task, we have assembled a team of experts from all three countries. They will treat the two sea freight containers like spaceships and safely bring them to the mission site and back,” says Franco Ravazzolo, head of Projects & Break Bulk at Gebrüder Weiss. This week, the journey from Austria through Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia to the destination in the Armenian desert Armash begins. The return transport in May will also be handled by Gebrüder Weiss.

Photo: © Gebrüder Weiss