Patch design: Adriana Talianova
Asclepios V
After four successful missions, Asclepios is launching its fifth mission. Nine analog astronauts from around the world have been selected to become the Iris crew and will spend up to sixteen days in isolation in the Sasso San Gottardo fortress. The mission will begin in July 2025, ready for lift off!
The Iris Crew
The Asclepios V-crew is composed of nine analog astronauts. The crew will perform an analogue space mission in all its components: training and thorough preparation; maintain and perform repairs of the base; conduct scientific experiments and communicate with the ground team of the MCC as would a regular astronaut crew. The astronauts have been drafted from students all around the globe whose level of study ranges from bachelor to PhD.
Matthew Acevski
PhD Researcher in Space Plasma Physics, Imperial College London
Nationality: British
Age: 23
Role: Science Officer
Ilina Adhikari
Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
Nationality: Nepali, American
Age: 22
Role: Science Officer
Ella Ganzer
Aerospace Engineering, Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Nationality: German
Age: 22
Role: Medical Officer
Max Grossman
Medicine, The University of Cambridge
Nationality: British
Age: 21
Role: Medical Officer
Joachim Harding
Space System Engineering, Technical University of Denmark
Nationality: Danish
Age: 25
Role: Base Engineer
Mateus Magalhaes
Aerospace Engineering, ISAE-SUPAERO
Nationality: Brazilian
Age: 26
Role: Commander
Lauren Victoria Paulson
PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Nationality: American
Age: 22
Role: Base Engineer
Nathan Pili
PhD in Aerospace Palaeomimicry, University of Manchester
Nationality: British, Italian
Age: 24
Role: Comm Officer
Pedro Rosado
Aerospace Engineering, ISAE-SUPAERO
Nationality: Portuguese
Age: 22
Role: Science Officer
Scientific Experiments
Microgreens Substrate Study for Lunar Agriculture
Principal Investigator: Quentin Jeandel
The experiment evaluates how different substrates—specifically agar mixed with lunar regolith simulants—behave under microgravity. The goal is to determine the suitability of these materials for growing microgreens in space environments.
Kronoespazio – Circadian Rhythms and Sleep in Simulated Space
Principal Investigator: Maria Comas
Araba University Hospital, Spain
Circadian disruption can impact sleep, mood, and cognition. This project investigates the effects of simulated lunar isolation on circadian gene expression, melatonin production, and behavioral patterns. As part of this study, crew members will collect biological samples (saliva and oral mucosa) at specific time points before, during, and after the mission. Proper handling and documentation of these materials are critical to guarantee data quality, sample integrity, and compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines.
DRAFT – Dynamic Regolith Air Filter Technology
Principal Investigator: Patrick Grove (The Spring Institute)
The Spring Institute for Forests on the Moon, France
The project explores the use of regolith-based soil filters to remove airborne toxins. It compares treated soils with raw lunar simulants to assess their potential for maintaining breathable air in closed habitats.
No Longer Earthlings
Principal Investigator: Michael Murphy
University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Using creative methods such as journaling and photography, this study delves into the transformation of identity that astronauts experience during space missions. It asks: how does one redefine the “self” when disconnected from Earth?
CHIRON (Crew Health optImisation for emeRgencies in deep-space missiONs)
Principal Investigator: Susana Alves
Nova School of Science and Technology, Portugal
The CHIRON (Crew Health optImisation for emeRgencies in deep-space missiONs) project aims at developing an intelligent training system for astronauts and MCC(Mission Control Center) crews to develop autonomous medical emergency care for deep-space missions, more specifically lunar missions. This system supports and develops decision making, situation awareness and teamwork during medical crises. Through scenario-based testing and follow-up questions, researchers will assess medical decision-making and the effectiveness of current training models.
Emotions in Extreme Environments
Principal Investigator: Alexandra de Carvalho
Austrian Space Forum, Austria
This qualitative research examines the emotional experiences of analog astronauts, focusing on the coping strategies they employ during long-duration missions in isolated, confined environments. The findings may inform future psychological support systems for space crews.
HAPTILE – Haptic Assisted Performance for Tactile Interaction in Lunar EVAs
Principal Investigator: Abir Belair
Asclepios, Lausanne, Switzerland
This engineering prototyping experiment aims at designing a haptic feedback enhanced glove for EVAs. The experiment’s research question is formulated as “Can Haptic gloves facilitate EVAs performed by astronauts in a Lunar environment?”.
LUNALEX – Lunar Legal Experiment on Resource Utilization and Extraterrestrial Life
Principal Investigator: Veronica Moronese
Independent Institute, Italy
This experiment explores whether current legal frameworks are prepared to handle the ethical and legal challenges of space exploration, including resource extraction and potential contact with extraterrestrial life. It tests the robustness and applicability of existing space law.
EVA Emergency Risk Scenario
Principal Investigator: Gabriel G. de la Torre & Celia Avila-Rauch
University of Cadiz, Cadiz, Spain
Combining psychology and mission safety, this project assesses team performance and cohesion under high-stress conditions. A simulated EVA emergency will be used to test the real-time psychological tool “Team Meter” for monitoring crew dynamics.
HUMANISE
Principal Investigator: Maneesh Kumar Verma
ISAE-SUPAERO and HUMANISE, France, India, and the Netherlands
Focusing on human-robot interaction, this study investigates how different teleoperation interfaces (VR headset vs. traditional controls) affect stress and workload. It combines biometric data and self-reporting to assess the impact of interface design during isolation.
ALGAE (ALgal Growth in Analog Environment)
Principal Investigator: Ella Ganzer
Human Spaceflight Technology – TUM, Munich, Germany
Algae could be essential in bio-regenerative life support systems due to their efficiency in oxygen production and nutrient content. This study examines how well microalgae grow under lunar base analog conditions, providing data for sustainable habitat design.
Our Teams
Project Leaders
Katie Mulry & Davide Scalettari
The project leaders are the chief executives for the mission. They mentour, coordinate and support all the Heads with their teams’ activities.
Astronaut Team
Team Head: Riccardo Di Bari
The Astronaut Team includes our Asclepios analog astronauts as well as our astronaut trainers. This team is responsible for preparing the astronauts for their mission to the Moon.
Science Team
Team Head: Ambre Bexter
The Science team interfaces between Asclepios and our scientific collaborators. Each year, the Science team puts out a Call for Projects to solicit proposals from academia and industry for projects to test in the Asclepios mission. Science team members collaborate with Principal Investigators throughout the year to implement their experiments in the mission. The Science team also plans and implements their own experiments..
Communication Team
Team Head: Adriana Talianova
The Communications Team shares our work at Asclepios with the rest of the world! This team is responsible for managing the Asclepios social media and website, as well as designing team merchandise and mission and team patches.
Design Team
Team Head: Micol Rimoldi
The Design Team manages the internal design of our analog lunar base. They work on the base layout, airlock design, spacesuit design and maintenance, and the launch simulation, along with other projects.
Recruitment Team
Team Head: Joseph Hong
The Recruitment Team performs the recruitment of new officers for all the roles in the association, along with the selection of the astronaut crew, and intensive four-phases process with hundreds of applications. In parallel to recruitment, the team also handles internal HR activities, comprising of onboarding new members, investigating team satisfactions, and many others.
EPFL Logistic Team
Team Head: Stefania Spachou
As an EPFL association, Asclepios Head Quarter is located in Lausanne, at EPFL. The team handles specific logistics, mainly related to in-person events, equipment storage and repairs, and coordinating with the university.
Finance Team
Team Head: Luca Chiara
The finance team ensures that Asclepios meets our budgetary requirements in order to make the mission happen each year. This team is also responsible for sponsorship.
Legal Team
Team Head: Fotios Kotzakioulafis
The Legal team is primarily responsible for reviewing contracts and MoUs with our partners and ensuring legal compliance as a nonprofit association in Switzerland.
MCC Team
Team Head: Ilyasse Taame
The Mission Control Centre (MCC) team works throughout the year to train the mission control officers who will support the astronauts during their mission. They also develop the software and procedures that are used in the mission control.
Medical Team
Team Head: Martina Zampieri Serafini
The Medical Team works to ensure the health, well-being, and safety of Asclepios analog astronauts during trainings and the mission. They manage astronaut nutrition and physical preparation, as well as leading medical and psychological training for the crew. During the mission, Medical Officers from this team serve in the Mission Control Centre to monitor crew health.
Ethics Team
Team Head: Anna Zimmermann
The ethics team works with our science Principal Investigator partners to help them apply for ethical approval in Switzerland. They also work with the medical team to ensue that the astronauts’ health data is protected..
Asclepios V Sponsors
Previous Missions
Asclepios IV
The analog mission Asclepios IV, launched in Summer 2024, was a lunar base simulation. The astronauts were students that went through extensive training to master the successful execution of the selected projects and experiments. Upon successful completion of the trainings, six astronauts spent two weeks isolated inside a simulated lunar base, in Switzerland, and took part in extravehicular activities (EVAs).
Asclepios III
Asclepios III, our third analogue mission, was set in a Lunar South Pole environment. A crew of international analogue astronauts were placed in isolation and carried out experiments and EVAs to explore the challenges of space medicine. The mission itself took place at Sasso San Gottardo, Switzerland.
Asclepios II
Asclepios II, our second analogue mission, was set in a Lunar South Pole environement. A crew of six international analogue astronauts were placed in isolation while they carry out experiments and EVAs to explore the challenges in the search for water. The mission took place at Sasso San Gottardo, a Swiss world war era fortress in the Airolo municipality of Switzerland.
Asclepios I
As the first mission of the Asclepios project, Asclepios I layd the foundation on which the following missions will be built. It served to accomplish the project’s goals as it demonstrated the viability of student led analogue missions. This mission served the purpose of testing the structure chosen for an Asclepios analogue mission but also the project structure itself. It was also oriented towards an ecological and sustainable approach. This was underlined by multiple choices ranging from alimentation to the construction of base structures.