The programme tested their ability to adapt to restricted environments with limited resources, unpredictable challenges, and the absence of natural light or regular day-night cycles.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has announced that astronaut Mohammad AlMulla has completed the two-week CAVES training programme organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) in Molise and Campania, Italy, alongside an international crew of astronauts from ESA, JAXA and NASA.
CAVES, short for Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behaviour and performance Skills, prepares astronauts to work safely and effectively as a team under exploration conditions that resemble those of space missions. The training included technical lectures, outdoor activities, and a multi-day expedition underground where the crew lived and worked in complete isolation.
Over the course of the training, AlMulla and his fellow astronauts learned techniques for subterranean exploration, mapping and scientific research, while also strengthening skills in communication, leadership, stress management and decision-making. The environment provided conditions similar to spaceflight, including isolation from the outside world, lack of diurnal cycles, confinement, minimal privacy, technical challenges, limited equipment and supplies for hygiene and comfort, and the constant presence of risk.
By completing CAVES training, AlMulla has gained valuable experience that will support future missions and enhance international collaboration in space exploration.
