Spacesuit Makes You Feel Like You're On Mars - YouTube

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

Daniel Schildhammer of the Austrian Space Forum is testing a spacesuit this week that simulates the conditions a person would experience in the Martian environment.

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.

But according to Gernot Groemer, 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.