Could diving deep into caves prepare us for life on other planets? The European Space Agency’s CAVES (Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising) project proves it can: astronauts have spent almost a week in a completely alien environment of caves to improve communication skills, research and test tools and technologies that can be used in future space flights.
The sixth mission to simulate space travel ended in September 2019 in the Slovenian cave Divaška Jama on the border with Italy, 250 m underground (at its deepest point). Six astronauts from five space agencies (including Roscosmos) lived in the dark at 6 degrees Celsius and 100 percent humidity.
The caves were chosen for the experiment for a reason: they can become our haven upon arrival on other planets. There are many caves on Mars and the Moon, but they are much wider than those on Earth, up to one kilometer wide and up to hundreds deep, which would make it possible to build an entire city there for hundreds of thousands of people.
Astronauts during the flight must be prepared for any scenario, including an emergency landing. That is why they need to train to survive in the desert, in the forest, underwater, at high altitude and in a cave.
The CAVES program is one of the first steps that will enable humanity to move forward. Caves may in the future provide us with shelter and become the first home on new planets.