Aconcagua, Tallest Mountain in South America
Following the success of the Kilimanjaro expedition, Dr. Musilova and her team prepared for and successfully performed their expedition to Aconcagua in Argentina, the tallest mountain in South America, in December 2023. On top of their usual training through running, hiking, strength training, weight training with a heavy backpack (up to ~32 kg or ~70 lbs) and other exercises, they also completed an ice climbing mountaineering course to properly prepare for Aconcagua’s challenging conditions. They also performed a series of breathing exercises over the course of several weeks to prepare for the lower oxygen levels at Aconcagua’s high altitude (its summit is at 6,961 m or 22,841 ft in elevation). The team ended up reaching the elevation of 6,200 m (20 ,341 ft), before deciding to turn around due to a team member experiencing medical problems.
The Astro Seven Summits team worked with an Argentinian expedition guide and logistics team to further support local communities during their project. Dr. Musilova searched for a team that not only treats their employees fairly, but also actively works on keeping the Aconcagua environment as free from trash as possible. Indeed, during the Aconcagua expedition, Dr. Musilova and her team rarely saw any neglected trash, so the local teams are doing an excellent job in protecting the environment there.
Dr. Musilova continued with her existing research and educational collaborations during this expedition, which included NASA and diverse universities worldwide, as well as more testing of technologies and equipment in extreme environments for several companies. Furthermore, her astrobiology research expanded beyond studying extremophiles (organisms that can survive in extreme conditions). Dr. Musilova also collected geological samples to both help scientists understand better the environments extremophiles thrive in, but also to compare these extreme environments with those of Mars and other planetary bodies. This will allow scientists to better determine where on Mars, for instance, we could potentially find existing life or perhaps at least traces of past life (like fossils or other biomarkers).
The next Astro Seven Summits documentary, based on the Aconcagua expedition, is currently in the making. It’s scheduled to be released in early 2025. Dr. Musilova has also delivered a number of educational presentations to the public and schools about this expedition in many countries around the world. Additionally, Dr. Musilova and her team have published tens of posts and videos on a variety of social media platforms for educational and outreach purposes. They’re now initiating more educational programs as well, in order to help educate and empower young people in schools and educational institutions worldwide.
