**1. Introduction**

Analog Astronaut Training Center (AATC) is a private company, which main mission is to develop activities for safe human spaceflight available for all in spirit of the New Space era. Sending humans to Moon and Mars is definitely one of the largest challenges for humanity of the twenty-first century. It will bring smart solutions to climate change problems. Failure is not an option since it's not only a matter of money but a matter of life. Human spaceflight studies rapidly increase the price and quality of human spaceflight studies. But such work gives the largest return of investment: new science, new technologies and new lifestyles for everyone including not only humans but all living creatures. Among several variants of testing platforms for human spaceflight R&Ds, analog simulations seem to be more and more efficient in releasing advanced TLR projects, where TLR means Technology Readiness Level – a standard parameter used by space sector community. We organise and coordinate scientific studies, introduce new technologies, incubate new start-ups and facilitate carriers for space passionates. The initial motivation to create AATC was a project titled "Time Architecture" developed in 2016 at Advanced Concepts Team in European Space and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Netherlands [1]. The main idea of the time architecture

concept is to modulate time perception in human brains in a way to decrease ageing processes and to optimise the circadian clock performance to keep the optimal health of people working and living in isolated spaces. In order to prove the concept, there was a need to perform appropriate investigations on humans in special laboratory conditions. Available in Europe, chronobiological chambers (laboratories to study biological clocks on humans) were very expensive to use and restricted to perform experiments only for two people at the time, limiting the statistical power of generated results. Therefore, the cheapest and the most efficient solution was to create a new, specially customised laboratory to test humans in isolation from sunlight and time. Because experiments on time perception require a minimum 1–2 weeks of stay in isolation, it was reasonable to combine biological clock experiments with trainings simulating the space mission. In order to make trainings attractive for people, a unique program of training was elaborated, and the foundation for analog astronaut mission scenarios was developed for lunar, Martian and orbital simulations.

Origins of analog missions in Poland were hard, what is presented on the **Figure 1**. We had laboratory equipment, mission scenarios, mission protocols, passionated collaborators and analog astronauts, but we struggled with inadequacies in infrastructure. Despite all obstacles, every year we moved forward: in 2016, we built Modular Analog Research Station (M.A.R.S.) in Turza and organised the first lunar analog simulation at Queen Jadwiga Astronomical Observatory in Rzepiennik. In the beginning of 2017, M.A.R.S. base was moved 700 km north to a different

#### **Figure 1.**

*The history of analog missions in Poland. The first analog mission was organised in 2016 under the M.A.R.S. affiliations. The first simulation was 6 days long and was crucial to gain the know-how and the initial experience to adjust mission scenarios for future activities. All people involved at this stage of the project were Polish with various specialisations and levels of professionalism. In the same year, a Space Garden company was established to act as an incubator for start-ups related with development of space technologies (that is why we named it garden). In 2017, the base (6 containers and dome) was transported through the whole country to military airport in Pi*ł*a. The base was expanded with a large isolated from sunlight EVA training terrain. The base was renamed from M.A.R.S. to LunAres. New environments and possibilities followed modernisation of the mission scenarios and opening up of new training opportunities for educational purposes. Another 8 missions were organised gaining critical experience. LunAres became independent unit belonging to Space Garden, operated by Space is More company, which until now organised 8 additional analog missions not depicted on this graphics. In 2019, in the south of Poland an additional base—independent and fully private Analog Astronaut Training Center—was created; it is now located in a confined 57 m2 smart space fully controlled by multiple sensors and completely isolated from sunlight and time. AATC is focused on organisation of scientific and educational analog simulations. Until now, we have organised 30 analog missions in this location.*

#### *Educational and Scientific Analog Space Missions DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101392*

location—a military airport in Piła. The new base was expanded by merging six M.A.R.S.'s containers and dome with a hangar dedicated for EVA trainings.

The base was renamed as Lunares. In 2017, after organising eight scientific and educational missions, we moved back to Rzepiennik, establishing the Analog Astronaut Training Center to be completely an independent private organisation. In this paper, we present results from lunar and Martian analog missions organised in Poland. A series of technological, operational, medical, biological, geological, ecological and human factors projects towards the goals of the future manned space missions were initiated and successfully developed. The results from these missions provide recommendations for future manned expeditions to increase the quality of simulation. Additionally, we focussed on optimisation of procedures and scheduling methods as well as science return based on improved resource allocation and crew habitation.
