Researchers Test Space Equipment For Five Days in Austrian Alps
Space in the Alps Researchers used the Austrian Alps as a model for Mars. OEWF (Katja Zanella-Kux) In the ongoing hunt for Martian life, there's one place astronauts haven't yet explored deeply: caves. But to delve into Martian caves calls for some heavy-duty gear, and where do you test Martian caving gear on Earth? The Austrian Alps. See our gallery of the most space-like environments on Earth. A team of volunteers spent five days at the end of April test-driving spacesuits and planetary rovers inside the ice caves of the awesomely/terrifyingly named Eisriesenwelt - German for "World of the Ice Giants." On Mars, explorers might run up against limestone caves or ice caverns, and Eisriesenwelt, a series of labyrinthian caves in central Austria cold enough to freeze all water inside, has both. The Martian incarnations are cold but temperatures are stable, there's less humidity than on the surface of the Red...