October 16, 2021

Life on Mars: Simulating Red Planet Base in Israeli Desert (Source: Space Daily)
Inside a huge crater in Israel's sun-baked Negev desert, a team wearing space suits ventures forth on a mission to simulate conditions on Mars. The Austrian Space Forum has set up a pretend Martian base with the Israeli space agency at Makhtesh Ramon, a 500-metre (1,600-foot) deep, 40 kilometer (25 mile) wide crater.

The six so-called "analogue astronauts" will live in isolation in the virtual station until the end of the month. The participants -- from Austria, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain -- all had to pass gruelling physical and psychological tests. During their mission, they will conduct tests including on a drone prototype that functions without GPS, and on automated wind- and solar-powered mapping vehicles. The mission will also aim to study human behavior and the effect of isolation on the astronauts. (10/13)

Aerospace Supply Chain Faces Mounting Strain as Demand Picks Up (Source: WTVB)
Global shipping and supply chain disruptions are making it harder for corporate planemakers and suppliers to meet resurgent demand for parts, according to industry executives and analysts. Disruptions, which are also hitting commercial aviation, are beginning to drive up costs and risk slowing down the aerospace industry’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

With private aviation traffic surpassing 2019 levels this year, some corporate planemakers and suppliers at a flagship business jet show in Las Vegas this week flagged warning signs about supply chain and labor hiccups. Their comments added to recent concerns expressed by Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury about mounting pressure on commercial aerospace’s supply chain. Aerospace has, so far, avoided the scale of supply woes faced by auto makers and machinery companies as planemakers Boeing Co and Airbus are producing fewer jets than before the pandemic. (10/15)