Ioana simulates moon mission for 2 weeks in Swiss bunker: 'Research for real missions'

Belgian-Bulgarian student Ioana Dimitrova has completed a two-week simulated moon mission in a former secret fort in the Swiss Alps. As part of the Asclepios VI project, Dimitrova and eight other international students lived as analog astronauts, experiencing a life devoid of sunlight, internet, and showers, subsisting on freeze-dried food.

“

My ultimate dream is to really go to space, the moon, or even Mars.

Dimitrova, who studied spaceflight at the University of Liège and is interning at the European Space Agency (ESA), described the experience as a partial fulfillment of her childhood dream to travel to space. After a rigorous six-month selection process involving psychological, physical, and intelligence tests, she was chosen for the mission.

The analog astronauts conducted scientific research in collaboration with universities and space companies. Their activities included testing spacesuits and a Canadian rover, with the knowledge gained intended to aid in the preparation of future real space missions. The mission took place in the Sasso San Gottardo complex, a former secret military fort.

“

As a child, I was already crazy about space.

This initiative, organized by and for students, aims to simulate aspects of space travel on Earth. The analog astronauts were supported around the clock by a control room team. Dimitrova noted that the mission involved extensive team-building exercises, expeditions in extreme conditions, and sleeping outdoors, alongside learning about the moon.

“

We are working with a rotating crew of astronauts for the first time in this mission. We divide the day into 3 parts.