Hypatia marks five years driven by its most important mission yet: to continue promoting research projects, raising the visibility of women scientists, and, above all, inspiring new generations.
Astronomers, engineers, biologists, journalists… a total of 30 women brought together by three missions (the third scheduled for summer 2027) and a shared passion for science — science in the feminine.
With numerous projects, research initiatives and conferences underway, the team is currently finalising preparations for its third mission, in which a nine-woman crew will lead a new and exciting expedition. Selected through a competitive process led by the association Hypatia Mars, this third crew will carry out Hypatia’s third analogue mission in 2027 at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, becoming the first all-women analogue mission to set foot in the Arctic.
«The upcoming Arctic mission is the most ambitious challenge we have taken on so far», explains Carla Conejo González, co-founder of Hypatia Mars. «It is a more complex expedition, carried out in isolation and under far more extreme conditions than our previous missions. We will also be the first all-female crew — and the first from our country — to conduct a mission at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station. One of our strategic objectives is to foster multidisciplinary research that contributes to space exploration, particularly of Mars. This new mission opens up a range of scientific questions that will expand knowledge in key areas for future real missions».
Hypatia Mars in numbers
Hypatia Mars was founded in February 2021 by astrophysicist Mariona Badenas-Agustí and science communicator Carla Conejo González. The initiative aims to serve as a bridge between space research and science communication, with the goal of showcasing female role models and fostering a more inclusive and diverse society, particularly in STEM disciplines.
The first analogue mission, Hypatia I, took place in April 2023 at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS, Utah, United States). As co-founder of Hypatia Mars, Badenas-Agustí reflects: «I feel enormous satisfaction seeing that the interest sparked by our first mission remains as strong as ever. Every time we share what we do, we feel heard and supported by society. This directly responds to one of Hypatia’s main goals: making female talent visible and creating real role models».
If 30 scientists and three missions already sound impressive for an association founded just five years ago, the figures speak for themselves: €250,000 in funding, 75 partners, and 22 awards and recognitions. Working together, they continue advancing in the field of space science and women in STEM, achieving a media impact valued at €4.8 million, nearly 1,000 news features over five years, and more than 50 research and outreach projects launched. «For an organisation without structural funding and heavily reliant on volunteer work, we consider these milestones truly extraordinary», concludes Badenas-Agustí.
Each mission also includes a range of multidisciplinary research projects spanning astronomy, biology, geology, engineering, psychology and science communication, including studies on the female body under extreme and isolated conditions, some of which are also conducted in the Utah desert.
A future in the feminine
As it celebrates its fifth anniversary, the association is entering a new phase filled with challenges aimed at expanding Hypatia Mars and increasing the project’s impact. «The education community welcomes every outreach and educational initiative we launch with open arms — and we are deeply grateful for that support. They help us amplify our mission to spark scientific curiosity and inspire new vocations. Even university extension classrooms have opened their doors so that grandparents can share their interest in science with their grandchildren. This intergenerational impact truly moves us», says Conejo González.
Both founders are proud of what has been achieved so far, though much work still lies ahead. As Badenas-Agustí notes: «We have built a project that we know is necessary today and will continue to be necessary tomorrow. That is why every member of Hypatia Mars dedicates time and effort to help the project take the next leap forward and consolidate its impact. We are embarking on the next five years with a new 2026–2030 strategic plan that will strengthen the project and multiply the reach of our initiatives».