First Moroccan Analog Astronaut Announced in Asclepios Project
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Loading... - Dylan Scott
- 22 Dec 2021
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A Moroccan student at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, Somaya Bennani, has been selected to participate as an analog astronaut in the Asclepios II mission in July 2022.
After a year-long selection process, competing with hundreds of participants from around the world, Bennani has been proudly chosen to represent Morocco in this project, which is taking place somewhere in the Alps of Valais.
Along with eight other international students, Bennani is getting ready to live an extraordinary adventure by participating in the Ascelpois II celestial mission which will conduct several scientific experiments.
The Asclepios II crew will “maintain and perform repairs of their base if needed, conduct scientific experiments, and communicate with the ground team of the MCC as would a regular astronaut crew,” according to the crew’s website.
Asclepios is a program bringing together students and scientists from all over the world in analog missions designed by students for students, under the mentorship of European Space Agency (ESA) professionals.
NASA defines analog missions as “field tests in locations that have physical similarities to the extreme space environments.”
A carbon copy of a lunar station has been created at 400 meters below the surface of Earth for Asclepios missions. The EPFL’s Space@yourservice association was in charge of building the facility in the access galleries of the Grimsel dam.
The program’s goal is to carry out successful two-week simulations for space missions to other planets, such as the Moon or even Mars, in order to pave the way for future space exploration of the solar system.
The Moroccan astronaut emphasizes that “Atlas crew let us dare to shoot for the moon and beyond!” For Bennani, the experience is also “A personal challenge to test [one’s] limits and discover ourselves.” Read More…
