Starling Blog

Explore Mars in Armenia

2023-04-25 10:36
Traveling to Mars is not just a dream, it's now a reality… almost. Have you ever dreamed of traveling to the fourth planet from the sun and see its harsh terrain? This once-in-a-lifetime trip is now possible without even leaving our own planet.
“Your country already has its contribution in the mission to Mars. The first Soviet Mars rover was built by an Armenian.”
Says the Director of the Austrian Space Forum Gernot Gromer who is in Armenia with a visit. On his initiative, in March 2024, a mission to test the living conditions of the distant planet will be organized in Armenia, which will be the 14th major international test.

According to Dr. Gromer, Armenia is the geological twin of the red planet. Especially the rocky plateaus have an impressive similarity.

Representatives of 25 nations will work in the HQ in Austria and in the “marslike” field in Armenia.
Now we are focused on the issue of determining the exact location. It is most likely that it will be in the area adjacent to the village of Armash. There we discovered a number of interesting rock formations that seem to be replicas of Mars. Most likely, we will concentrate and locate our station there. Says Dr. Gromer.
According to him, our country is rich in people with original vision, and Armenia participated in the selection stage at the initiative of one of them, Hayk Aslanyan. Within a year, the best candidate was decided, and the Austrian Space Forum arrived in Armenia.
The mission, as such, will last here for 1 month. It means that the isolation will last for about 3 weeks. Mission participants will be involved in several specially selected scientific experiments related to robotics and the human factor in geological sciences. The connection with the center located in Austria will be tested. That center will be the country, so to speak, and the participants of the mission will be controlled from there.
The head of the group testing the living conditions of the Red Planet on the Mother Planet promises that Armenia will not be limited to "Mars-like" terrain. The team will travel around the country, visit schools, universities, and technical colleges to tell young people about the "neighboring planet".
Now we are here for the 2nd time to sign a memorandum of understanding between the interested parties, participants of the Armenian and Austrian Space Forum. When the entire crew of the expedition arrives here, tens of tons of equipment will be brought to Armenia. Most likely, it will happen in February. Therefore, the actual mission will begin in the 2nd week of March.
The distance between the Earth and the Moon is 384 thousand kilometers. The distance between Earth and Mars is more than 130 million kilometers.

Astronauts who have not mastered the Moon yet are thinking about conquering a distant planet with weak gravity. The founder of the American rocket giant SpaceX, Elon Musk, announces that by 2050 there will be a city inhabited by people on the Red Planet.

The head of the Austrian Space Forum, who considers Armenia to be the geological twin of Mars, also agrees with Musk. According to Gernot Gromer, if a man were to set foot on Mars in the next 20-30 years, he would be 45 years old by then, based on astronaut requirements. It means that the pioneer is already born.

Maybe now he attends elementary school in New York, Beijing, or Yerevan. The specialist believes that the moment of reaching the Red Planet will be an impressive time, many people living now will see it.

Travel to Mars now

Unlike the work of Dr. Gromer, the Mars-like terrain in Armenia will still remain there after the research and will always be open for the travelers to see it. The dream of traveling to Mars is no longer just a fantasy. With the upcoming mission to test living conditions in Armenia, we are well on our way to exploring the Red Planet. And while the distance between Earth and Mars may seem daunting, we can experience the Mars terrain without ever leaving our planet – right here in Armenia. So why wait 30 years and travel 130 million kilometers when you can travel to Mars now with just a simple form? Let us take care of your Marsian trip and join in on the excitement of exploring the unknown.