Caves are not only humid – they can be very wet.
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. Astronauts need to get used to confined spaces, minimal privacy, technical challenges as well as limited equipment and supplies – just as in space.