The logistics provider and partner of the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) transports sensitive equipment to the mission site in Armenia // OeWF Director Gernot Grömer: “AMADEE-24 is our most complex mission so far. Our partners have been selected with great care.”
Lauterach, November 22, 2023. For the second time already, Gebrüder Weiss is supporting the Mars Analog Mission of the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF). As official partner, the international logistics expert will ensure the safe transport of sensitive equipment from Innsbruck to the mission site in Armenia. According to Gernot Grömer, Director of the OeWF, the technologies involved “stretch the limits of what is feasible” and are the result of many years of research. This is why he has selected all AMADEE-24 partners with great care: “Everyone needs to know exactly what they are doing, and to do it to the highest level,” the scientist says. After all, in addition to expertise and precision, it takes passion and vision to transport a piece of the future.
The team of Gebrüder Weiss is aware that this is about more than transporting containers from A to B. “We have regular transports to the region and are represented in Armenia with our own location. The route leads through countries with GW locations, but such a complex project requires additional specialists to permanently monitor the transport,” says Wolfram Senger-Weiss, Chief Executive Officer of Gebrüder Weiss, about the repeated partnership. “In projects like these, we see ourselves not only as a logistics partner, but also as responsible for shaping the future of mobility.”
For this reason, apart from transport services, Gebrüder Weiss also provides a test site at the Maria Lanzendorf location near Vienna. At the end of January, this is where the OeWF will run through all their routines one final time, prior to departing for the actual mission site in Armenia. “This is the “dress rehearsal” for the team and the hardware. Experiments, rovers, and spacesuits will all be put into operation and tested one last time before the mission,” Gernot Grömer explains. “The days in Vienna make a significant contribution to the success of the mission, and we appreciate the extended support and the valuable partnership provided by Gebrüder Weiss.”
The “dress rehearsal” is a unique opportunity to observe the astronauts and their exciting experiments from up close. Journalists and employees are also welcome to explore the world of space travel on the last weekend of January. After that, the sensitive equipment will be loaded and dispatched. Franco Ravazzolo, Head of Projects & Break Bulk at Gebrüder Weiss, will see the goods off on their journey to Armenia by truck. The colleagues from Yerevan will be standing by to take delivery of this valuable piece of the future. The mission itself starts on March 7, 2024.
Space Talk – Immerse yourself in the world of space travel
The Mars Mission is a departure for new horizons, a fresh start. At the same time, space technologies are already an integral part of our lives, found in cash machines and gas pumps, in every weather forecast or in cancer screenings. “The first person to set their foot on Mars is already of school age,” Gernot Grömer said in a recent interview with Gebrüder Weiss Head of Corporate Brand Strategy & Communications Frank Haas. If you want to know more about the secrets of the red planet and our journey to get there, you should definitely watch the “Space Talk” on ATLAS Digital (https://gw-atlas.com/en/).
About Gebrüder Weiss
Gebrüder Weiss Holding AG, based in Lauterach, Austria, is a globally operative full-service logistics provider with about 8,400 employees at 180 company-owned locations. In the last fiscal year (2022), it posted annual sales of 3 billion euros. Its portfolio encompasses transport and logistics solutions, digital services, and supply chain management. The twin strengths of digital and physical competence enable Gebrüder Weiss to respond swiftly and flexibly to customers’ needs. The family-run organization – with a history going back more than half a millennium – has implemented a wide variety of environmental, economic and social initiatives. Today, it is also considered a pioneer in sustainable business practices.
