When I first arrived at EPFL, 6 years ago, only a couple of associations (Callista and a very young Rocket Team) were fighting to create a breach for space initiatives in our university. In the following years, many projects in astrophysics, space engineering, and astrobiology were born, thanks to brilliant students at EPFL that understood the renovated importance of their passion and thanks to the support of the vibrant EPFL research center (or eSpace), the most important space laboratory in Switzerland as for now.
For its peculiarity, one of these initiatives captured my attention last year. The name of the project is Asclepios and its goal is to design what is called in the space domain an « analog space mission ». An analog mission is the simulation of a space mission on another planet, like the Moon or Mars, but undertaken here on Earth. Analog missions are mainly done with the goal of testing prototypes of space-related scientific experiments that would be too risky or expensive to test in outer space. Analog missions became increasingly popular in the past 20 years, but Asclepios is the only international student-led analog mission worldwide. The Asclepios missions are designed for a crew of selected and trained analog astronauts (students), that will stay isolated on a simulated space-like colony and that is monitored 24/7 for the whole duration of the mission by the rest of the team, working in the Mission Control Center. For its nature, the project also caught the eye of Claude Nicollier, EPFL professor and only swiss astronaut, currently a mentor of the association.
To me, Asclepios was the perfect example of bravery and ambition. Asclepios is a complex project, that involves disciplines like engineering, management, psychology, architecture, and design. I was a Master student in Physics, and I wanted to be a part of this project to gain interdisciplinary knowledge in subjects that I was not familiar with. Ultimately, I wanted to try and make this project my entrance gate in the space sector: I needed to play my cards well and apply.
The challenge was thrilling, but it was also very scary. I did not have any major previous management experience, so I had to believe in the «learn-by-doing» approach that is a mantra for many associations at EPFL: I was going to learn along the way, make mistakes, learn from them and make the best out those lessons to ensure success.
Thanks to a series of lucky events, the Project Leading role was still available. I applied for it and at the end of the routine interview, I found myself being the new Chef Manager of Asclepios II, the second Asclepios mission. My task was to conceive, design, and perform the future mission, due in the summer of 2022. The challenge was thrilling, but it was also very scary. I did not have any major previous management experience, so I had to believe in the «learn-by-doing» approach that is a mantra for many associations at EPFL: I was going to learn along the way, make mistakes, learn from them and make the best out those lessons to ensure success.
The challenge of time management
From the very beginning, the most difficult challenge I had to face was time management. Even though I tried to clear my EPFL lectures schedule, I still had to take the necessary credits that would allow me to finish my Master studies. Moreover, I knew I needed some free time to cultivate my hobbies and friendships. Asclepios, in that sense, forced my life to become a very well-structured and organized carousel of events.
The handling of that carousel was not always easy: I had to say no to many opportunities of spending time with my friends as 80% of my evenings were occupied by Asclepios work and meetings. Asclepios also made my EPFL life harder as on a few occasions, I had to catch up on my theoretical classes in the last weeks before the exams. Eventually, things became a bit easier when the Asclepios people also became my friends, and Asclepios events became also the occasion to spend time with them. I will never forget the UK SEEDS conference in London last March: it was the first occasion where I could not only talk about the Asclepios project to an international audience but also explore the city with my friends right after spending a fulfilling day talking to space passionates and experts. This will happen again for the International Aerospace Congress (IAC) in Paris this September, which I am looking forward to for the very same reason.
How to handle an international team
On the other hand, this experience not only simulated the internationality of a space project but enriched Asclepios with diversity in competencies and outside-of-the-box solutions. Even in the international context of EPFL, such diversity in backgrounds would have been impossible to find with a fully Swiss-based project. It was also a very special moment when some of us met for the first time with the international side of the team this July to prepare for the Asclepios II mission! Afterward, the team lived together for almost a month to work in the Mission Control Center and it seems impossible now to think that some people did not even know each other before that occasion!
A unique feeling and many rewards
Of course, there are pros and cons in becoming involved in such a project that requires the investment of so much of your time. The main motivation for the work I did throughout the year is that, although stressful and demanding, the Asclepios experience was fulfilling. Being in an association working on a subject you are passionate about is a feeling that is not comparable to other experiences I have ever lived: since the work is done for free, without being credited or paid, I knew I was doing it for me and that the responsibility was going to be paid off by a personal reward.
At the end of my Asclepios experience, I think I not only gained the coveted business card that got me access to a professional career in the space sector, but I also gained renewed confidence in my technical skills and I created a great group of friends with my same passion.
Even though we left important lessons learned for the next team, the Asclepios II mission was successfully accomplished in July 2022, with a preparation time shorter than ever, only 13 months! This made me proud of myself and of the incredible group I was working with: we collected the results for more than 10 scientific projects that were carried out in the framework of Asclepios, and we could train a group of analog astronauts that performed for 2 weeks of underground isolation and simulation.
This experience also taught me transversal skills that are hard to learn with other kinds of projects: public speaking, experience with job interviews, and dexterity in handling relationships with media and partners. At the end of my Asclepios experience, I think I not only gained the coveted business card that got me access to a professional career in the space sector, but I also gained renewed confidence in my technical skills and I created a great group of friends with my same passion. I believe that Asclepios, such as other space projects at EPFL that have a similar mindset, is not only a symptom of the increasing interest in space-related disciplines among EPFL students but represents also the cause. Space associations are becoming so popular at EPFL because they produce complex projects and offer the opportunity of getting an industry-like experience in a protected environment. Shooting for the Moon is ambitious, but it’s definitely worth the effort!