The technology company GMV has been instrumental in initiating the World”s Biggest Analog Mission (WBA), which is the most extensive simulation campaign for lunar and Martian environments ever undertaken. This ambitious project brings together 17 institutions from five continents under the coordination of the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF).
The WBA aims to replicate life and research in extraterrestrial settlements. The Operational Support Tools (OST) developed by GMV serve as the technical backbone, facilitating real-time connectivity among the sixteen analog habitats distributed across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
Located at the OeWF”s Mission Control Center in Vienna, GMV”s OST are crucial for the mission”s operations. This advanced system enables the planning, coordination, and oversight of activities in complex, distributed environments, managing simulated communication delays and ensuring that each habitat functions as part of a cohesive operational ecosystem.
“Conducting a mission that connects analog habitats across five continents requires a powerful, reliable, and flexible support system. The OST ensure that all habitats, regardless of their location on Earth, can operate as part of a unified and cohesive mission,” explains Mattia Moscardino, the General Director of GMV in Germany.
The OST are a modular platform designed to support mission control centers throughout all operational phases, from planning to execution. Having already been utilized in the Columbus Control Center of the International Space Station (ISS), these tools have been adapted for the WBA mission to address the challenges of large-scale analog research.
With the implementation of the WBA, coordination of scientific and technical teams across multiple time zones becomes possible, which is particularly relevant in the context of lunar and Martian exploration. Human teams will need to operate with autonomy, precision, and delayed communication.
GMV”s participation in this mission underscores its commitment to preparing for future crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit. The insights gained from this simulation in communication, planning, and resource management will enhance the tools and procedures that actual astronauts will rely on during their journeys to the Moon and Mars.
The analog mission will not only test technical conditions but also address the human and logistical challenges associated with living in isolated environments, simulating latency in communications and energy limitations.
The WBA represents an unprecedented exercise in global collaboration in the realm of space exploration. Thanks to the interconnectivity provided by GMV”s OST, the sixteen habitats will operate as a synchronized network capable of faithfully reproducing the complexities of interplanetary operations.
“The world”s largest analog mission demonstrates how global collaboration and advanced technology can come together to simulate the challenges of living and working beyond Earth,” states Gernot Grömer, Director of the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF). “With partners like GMV, we are laying the groundwork for real human exploration,” he adds.
Through this mission, GMV showcases the maturity and versatility of its operational systems in distributed environments, reaffirming its commitment to developing critical technologies for human exploration. The experience gained during this campaign will mark a significant milestone in the transition from laboratory work to lunar and Martian habitats, connecting terrestrial habitats to prepare for future endeavors.
