In Photos: Swiss School Kids Gear up for 'Mission to Mars'

While the world has been riveted by the escapades of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover, a group of Swiss primary school children has been eagerly preparing their own mission to the red planet. Photo: Stefan Wermuth/AFP

For nine months, a group of Swiss primary school children eagerly prepared for their ‘mission to Mars’. And then came the all-clear for lift-off to a remote ‘Mars space station’ in western Switzerland for a three-day mission carrying out experiments similar to those conducted by real astronauts. Photo: Stefan Wermuth/AFP

Some of Switzerland's top space experts, including the country's only astronaut, Claude Nicollier, evaluated the detailed mission plan the children had developed over nine months. Photo: Stefan Wermuth/AFP

Their rocket is actually a bus, with images of astronauts astride a spaceship heading towards a bright red sphere covering the windows, flanked by the message: "Mission Vivalys. Direction Mars". Photo: Stefan Wermuth/AFP

Their destination? A Mars space station conveniently situated a bus-ride away in a secluded wooded area on the outskirts of Lausanne in western Switzerland.Photo: Eloi ROUYER/AFP

Here, the 16 eight- and nine-year-olds will spend three days carrying out experiments similar to some conducted by actual astronauts, including attempting to grow plants to sustain them on the long journey. Photo: Stefan Wermuth/AFP