The Hypatia III team, which will embark on a new mission in 2027, is now complete and ready to begin preparations for their analog trip to Mars. The crew comprises ten women of different ages and disciplines, led by aerospace engineers Estel Blay (commander) and Laura González (executive officer), together with nanotechnologist Lucia Matamoros, mission specialist Qi Gao, biologist María Lastra, engineer Anna Sabaté, communication technician and artist-in-residence Roser Bastida, back-up scientist Andrea Jaime, back-up engineer Carlota Keimer, and health and safety advisor Marta Milà.
The projects they will carry out are still being defined, but will include high-precision ground analysis, the use of drones for habitat condition monitoring, the study of dietary effects on biological resilience, and the creation of a poetry artefact about arriving on a new planet.
The mission, which is currently seeking collaborators to support its funding, aims to strengthen research excellence, refine communication strategies and protocols in a simulated and isolated environment, implement impactful outreach, and give visibility to contemporary women scientists at different career stages, encouraging new scientific vocations among young girls.