First Canadian astronaut, five others begin ESA CAVES training mission

LONGUEUIL, Quebec, 4 Sept. 2012. Six international astronauts will spend six days in an underground mission, the European Space Agency's (ESA’s) Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behavior and performance Skills (CAVES).

CAVES training prepares astronauts to work safely and effectively and solve problems as a multicultural team while exploring uncharted areas using space procedures, says a spokesperson.

David Saint-Jacques will be the first Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut to participate in the training, alongside five other international astronauts living and working in caves in Sardinia, Italy. The training, from September 2 to 14, includes a week of briefings and preparation before the crew can begin the six-day underground mission, which replicates the same exploration conditions of the International Space Station (ISS). “The astronauts will have to work in confined spaces, with minimal privacy, technical challenges, and limited equipment and supplies for hygiene and comfort--just like in space,” says a representative.