Each year, ESA sends up to six astronauts down into the caves of Sardinia, Italy, for two weeks on a simulated space mission.

New and experienced astronauts from different space agencies are invited on underground ventures to improve their exploration skills and learn from each other in a multicultural team.

This year will see an underground reunion for ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin. They spent three months together on the International Space Station last year during Luca’s mission.

Joining them will be experienced NASA astronaut Mike Fossum*, a Station commander and veteran of seven spacewalks.

“Exploration can go in many different directions,” says Luca. “The infinite horizon and absolute black of space has an indisputable allure, but the darkness of a cave, snaking underground into places where light never visited, reminds me how much we still don’t know about our planet.”

The ‘rookies’ this year are Russian Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and American Scott Tingle, currently training all over the world to prepare for their missions in space.

The CAVES course – Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behaviour and performance Skills – is designed to improve leadership, teamwork, decision-making and problem-solving skills.