The VaMEx-3 MarsSymphony research project was well represented at the 2025 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney, with contributions from several partners. During the technical sessions, multiple team members presented various aspects of the project. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Kühne from IQ spacecom presented his paper, “VaMEx-3 Mars Symphony Communication System: A Low Mars Orbit CubeSat to Lander Link,” which outlined the Mars Symphony communication concept that enables reliable data transmission between an orbiter and a lander on Mars. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hakan Kayal from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg presented “Exploring Transient Phenomena in the Martian Atmosphere,” introducing the SkyCam sky observation system and presenting expected phenomena in the Martian atmosphere. Clemens Riegler, also from the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, presented the paper “Towards Autorotation Landers for Communication and Sensor Networks on Mars,” describing a novel autorotation flight system for Martian landers.

At the IAC exhibition, IQ spacecom discussed the progress of the VaMEx-3 MarsSymphony communication solution with visitors at the company’s booth in the German Pavilion by BDLI. With the DLR’s Scout Rover on display nearby, the VaMEx-3 project was represented across multiple facets of the mission, including robotics and communications.

The IAC 2025 provided a splendid opportunity for the entire IQ spacecom (IQ Technologies for Earth and Space GmbH) and Julius Maximilian University Würzburg (JMU) team to present the VaMEx-3 MarsSymphony project and discuss its progress together.