An "astronaut" is in a special training for Mars mission at the Ramon Crater in Mitzpe Ramon in southern Israel's Negev desert on Oct. 31, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

An "astronaut" is in a special training for Mars mission at the Ramon Crater in southern Israel's Negev desert on Oct. 31, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

An "astronaut" is in a special training for Mars mission at the Ramon Crater in southern Israel's Negev desert on Oct. 31, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

An "astronaut" is in a special training for Mars mission at the Ramon Crater in southern Israel's Negev desert on Oct. 31, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
The Austrian Space Forum set up a pretend Martian base with the Israeli Space Agency at Makhtesh Ramon in southern Israel's Negev desert.

Six "analog astronauts" from Portugal, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Israel conducted a special training mission at the 500-meter-deep, 40-km-wide Ramon Crater, simulating an off-site station.

During the three-week mission, the "astronauts" have remained in complete isolation to simulate a space station. They also undertook a variety of experiments to gather scientific data towards a future human expedition to Mars.

Makhtesh Ramon is one of the few places in the world that resemble the conditions on Mars in terms of its soil structure, minerals, remoteness and otherwise extreme conditions.