Nine high school students from Austria, Greece, and Portugal have emerged from a specially designed habitat near Monsaraz after successfully completing EXPLORE-2 — a six-day simulated Mars mission that placed young Europeans in the role of analog astronauts.
The students lived, worked, and explored as if they were on Mars, operating rovers, conducting scientific experiments, and solving real challenges without outside assistance. The mission ran from 13–19 April 2026 at OLA – Observatório do Lago Alqueva in Portugal’s Alentejo region, an area whose barren, reddish landscape resembles the Red Planet.
Students experience life as analog astronauts
Jean-Claude Worms, Executive Director of Committee on Space Research, one of the project partners, says “Another week of analog EXPLORERS to Mars has just concluded beautifully. It was awesome to see what highly motivated high school students can do when confronted with the challenges of a simulated space mission. They came out of the facility transformed, instantly becoming dedicated ambassadors for the promotion of STEM education. We cannot wait to see some of them attending the COSPAR Scientific Assemblies in the future!”
“We’re not just supporting students to learn about space—we’re showing them what it’s like to live it,” said Rosa Doran, President of NUCLIO and Chair of the COSPAR Panel on Education. “This mission represents everything we envisioned when we created EXPLORE: young people gaining authentic experience in exploration, self-motivation, self-confidence, teamwork, and scientific thinking.”
EXPLORE-2 builds on earlier success
EXPLORE-2 builds on the foundation laid by EXPLORE-1, which took place in June 2025. This latest mission marked a significant step forward in both educational ambition and operational realism.
Participants designed their own mission plans, scheduled experiments, integrated scientific investigations, and made operational decisions using procedures adapted from AMADEE, the Austrian Space Forum’s flagship analog astronaut program.
Students took on real crew roles
Students also took on defined crew roles, working together to manage the daily challenges of isolated mission operations.
“We gave these students real responsibility,” explained Gernot Grömer, Director of the Austrian Space Forum and project lead. “They weren’t just following a script—they were making decisions, managing resources, and working as an actual crew. It is a shining example of European cooperation with the very generation that will one day enable our society’s most ambitious journey yet: a crewed mission to the Red Planet.”
European students designed scientific experiments
One highlight was the EXPLORE Experiment Design Challenge, a competition inviting students across Europe to propose scientific investigations for the mission. The winning entry came from the Antalya Science and Art Center (BİLSEM) in Turkey.
The experiment tested astronaut reflexes before, during, and after wearing Delta suits — the specialized gear students used during simulated spacewalks to collect rock samples and conduct field experiments.
Angelos Lazoudis, project partner and senior researcher from Ellinogermaniki Agogi, says, “The mission is not only about knowledge and learning new topics, it’s about collaboration and communication. These are the basic skills that the students will carry on in their life after leaving school. Relying on trusting colleagues, working as a team, is as important as having knowledge or technical know-how for a successful mission.”
Why analog Mars missions matter
Before astronauts travel to Mars or the Moon, they train on Earth in environments that simulate the harsh realities of space. These so-called “analog missions” are designed to test equipment, procedures, and the psychological effects of isolation on crews. The terrain near Monsaraz provides an ideal Mars-like backdrop for this type of training.
During the mission, students wore spacesuit simulators during their “spacewalks,” experiencing first-hand the restrictions and protocols real astronauts face. The immersive approach helps participants understand not only the science behind exploration, but also the operational challenges of living and working in extreme environments.
By students, for students
A unique aspect of the EXPLORE program is the way participants are selected. All students taking part in EXPLORE-2 were chosen by their classmates and Space Coach teachers, meaning the nine participants represented the trust and confidence of their wider school communities.
Remarkably, the students had never met before the mission began. Within a single week, they had to build trust, establish team spirit, and cooperate under pressure — skills essential for successful astronaut crews.
Adapting to challenges on a Mars-like mission
The students also adapted daily mission plans themselves whenever unexpected problems arose, ensuring every crew role contributed to the mission’s objectives.
Any school in Europe can participate in the EXPLORE project through the program’s virtual toolkit, bringing analog space exploration into classrooms across the continent. In the future, the Monsaraz Mars Analog Station is expected to welcome students from across Europe for similar week-long experiences.
About the EXPLORE project
EXPLORE — the Expeditionary Program for Learning OppoRtunities in analog space Exploration — is a unique EU co-funded Erasmus+ initiative designed to bring the reality of space exploration into schools.
The project aims to increase interest in STEAM subjects, introduce innovation into classrooms, and improve digital literacy among both educators and students.
Source: Erasmus+.
Image credit: Erasmus+ project EXpeditionary Program for Learning OppoRtunities in analog space Exploration (EXPLORE).
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