Created in August 2019 as an EPFL Space@yourService project, Asclepios aims at organising a student-led space mission simulating a mission to another celestial body. It is the largest worldwide space analogue mission initiated by students, for students, in collaboration with academic institutions, research labs, and industrial partners. Asclepios is now an independent association recognised by EPFL, with partnerships globally, including with TUM. After the success of five previous missions, the sixth analogue astronaut mission, Asclepios VI, is scheduled for July 2026 in Sasso San Gottardo, Switzerland.
The professorship of Human Spaceflight Technology has had active collaboration with Asclepios, with students associated with the professorship taking part as analogue astronauts in previous missions, and playing an active role in astronaut training, mission control design and science experiment management.
In addition, experiments investigating algae photobioreactors have been accepted for both Asclepios V(2025) and Asclepios VI(2026). The ALGAE (ALgal Growth in Analog Environment) Experiment involving the operation of a flat panel airlift photobioreactor in the habitat was executed successfully as part of Asclepios V, and the HALO (Humidity-Assisted Algae Loop Optimisation) experiment took place as part of Asclepios VI.
