Oman analog mission to test Mars habitats begins

Oman is all set to serve as the location for a special Moon/Mars analog mission stimulating aspects of habitats across five continents, coordinated by the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) running from October 13 to 26, 2025.

The mission coordination will be primarily provided by the private research institution, the Austrian Space Forum, located in Vienna, Austria.

This marks the first time in history that 17 institutions are stimulating Moon/Mars missions across five continents including Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

These continents are joining forces to imitate the human presence on the Moon or Mars.

During the mission, more than 200 scientists from 25 countries will participate.

The physical location used for the Moon/Mars stimulation is at the Space Habitat center, Zone 88, which is within a Special Economic Zone.

The previous mission, AMADEE-18 (which first took place in 2018), included a field crew that conducted experiments in a Mars-like desert environment across various disciplines including engineering, astrobiology, and planetary science.