Dhofar readying for Mars mission trials 1101925 SHARE The Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) in partnership with the Sultanate of Oman will conduct a highly international Mars analog field simulation in the Dhofar Governorate in February 2018. A six-member strong team of astronauts has been preparing to come to the Dhofar desert next year in an attempt to simulate what life will be like on Mars. The four-week mission — Amadee-18 — is directed by Mission Support Center in Austria in partnership with the Oman National Steering Committee. There will be a total of 19 experiments in the fields of geosciences, engineering, planetary surface operations, life sciences including astrobiology and human factors.