Away Teams & Field Reports

ESA Away Team Training In Sardinian Caves

By Keith Cowing
Status Report
ESA
June 24, 2024
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ESA Away Team Training In Sardinian Caves
An artistic picture taken by ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet on the highlight of day five of CAVES training 2011.Taken on September 20, 2011 Credits: ESA / T. Pesquet larger image

ESA’s cave training prepares astronauts to work as an international team in real exploration conditions. Sending astronauts underground to survive and explore Sardinian caves in Italy for almost a week is just one element of their long training.

The Sardinian caves are isolated from the outside world. The astronauts need to get used to confined spaces, minimal privacy, technical challenges and limited equipment and supplies for hygiene and comfort – just like in space.

Astrobiology, Astrogeology

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻