It looks like an inspiring vision of the future: astronauts in spacesuits making their way across the fire-red landscape of Mars.
But these figures are in Israel, walking across the sands of a desert in a mission simulating a visit to the Red Planet.
Pictured just days ago in the Makhtesh Ramon crater in the Negev, they are taking part in an international project in which the Israel Space agency has combined forces with the Austrian Space Forum, with the backing of the European Space Agency. In total there are more than 200 scientists drawn together from 25 countries.
An Israeli who is one of the six “astronauts” on the mission, Alon Tenzer, 36 said: “It’s a dream come true. It’s something we’ve been working on for years.”
Following four years of preparation, the AMADEE-20 simulation is being conducted until the end of month, running experiments in the human and robotic exploration of Mars.
Makhtesh Ramon has been selected as one of the only places on our planet that sufficiently resembles Mars, in terms of both geological composition and also the isolated setting of the crater, which is 1,600ft deep and 25 miles wide.
The six “analog astronauts” — as participants in these simulations are dubbed — are living there cut off from the outside world for the duration of the experiment, having earlier passed extensive tests assessing more than 600 separate factors to ensure they are physically and psychologically up to the challenge.
Their spare accommodation offers little for the inhabitants’ needs beyond bunk beds and a very basic kitchen.
Almost all the rest of the space is devoted to scientific experiments.While outside their sealed habitat, they wear a spacesuit that weighs around seven stone and takes several hours to put on.
The result of a decade-long development, the suit allows the wearer to eat and drink while inside, disposes of all human waste, and monitors vital signs.
As well as trying out the suit, the astronauts are helping to show how a Mars crew will cope and are also conducting a number of other experiments, including testing out a rover vehicle.
Mission supervisor Gernot Groemer, from Austria, said: “The group’s cohesion and their ability to work together are crucial for surviving on Mars. It’s like a marriage, except in a marriage you can leave but on Mars you can’t.”
The simulation offers those taking part conditions rather more favourable to survival than those which future astronauts will encounter when land on Mars.
Temperatures in the Negev are around 30C at this time of year —while on Mars, which is almost three times as far from the Sun, the cold plunges to -60C. Worse, the thin atmosphere is only about one per cent the density of Earth’s, making an artificial oxygen supply essential to survival.
For the analog astronauts, communication with “mission control” is virtually instant, but the vast distance to Mars means even the simplest exchange from there will take around 20 minutes or more.
The first manned mission to Mars may take place as soon as 2030, according to US space agency NASA.
