Spacesuit lets you feel like an astronaut on Mars

What would it feel like to be an astronaut on Mars?

Physicist Daniel Schildhammer wears the Aouda.X spacesuit simulator during a field test of Oesterreichisches Weltraum Forum (Austrian space forum) inside the Eisriesenhoehle (giant ice cave) at Dachstein mountain near the village of Obertraun April 28, 2012.

The outfit mimics Mars's lower atmospheric pressure and is equipped for extreme temperatures, with an onboard computer that controls a heating and cooling system based on information from a network of sensors.

Headphones allow the wearer to communicate wirelessly with colleagues on smartphones, with a radio backup should the main system fail.

Compared to the first version of the suit, which was tested in 2009, the current model is equipped with more robust electronics and a better voice recognition system to control field instruments.

However, according to Gernot Groemer, (www.ostina.org) the team leader, there are still improvements to be made. "The goal is to create a simulation that's so realistic that by closing your eyes, you would think you were on Mars," he says.

The suit is being tested in ice caves at Dachstein mountain in Austria to simulate astrobiology experiments. It is designed to collect samples without contaminating the external environment as long as the right procedures are followed. These are currently being evaluated at the site.