# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DaVVNtPDIzy
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67372198-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/c4a191f884.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-03T00:00:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

ESA - European Space Agency on Instagram: "Would you spend four days underground with zero sunlight? 🤔

Five explorers just spent two weeks training for space, four days of it in total darkness. And they’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

This crew had to become a team from day one, because underneath the Apennine Mountains in Italy, our CAVES 2026 course doesn’t ease you in gently. Two intense weeks of training built up to a four-day expedition deep into a pitch-black cave. No windows, no fresh air, no popping outside for a breather. It’s basically a space mission, just swap the stars for stalactites.

That early bond is what made the difference. Five people who’d barely worked together turned into a safe, effective, brilliantly organised unit, running a real space analogue mission underground. They mapped cave systems no one had ever explored before, built their own phone lines from scratch and ran science experiments on microbes, radon and carbon dioxide levels along the way. Halfway through, they even swapped roles, because in space, everyone needs to know everyone’s job, not just their own.

This year’s crew brought together our astronaut @astro.rosemary, @astro_johnmcfall from our astronaut reserve and the Fly! project, NASA’s Tracy Dyson, NASA astronaut candidate @astro_benbailey, and JAXA’s @astro.ayu

And this edition made history. For the first time ever, two women led as commanders. John McFall also joined as part of the Fly! project, helping us explore what it takes for astronauts with physical disabilities to take on missions like this one.

Four days in the pitch black later, they came out tired but completely changed, not just as explorers, but as a team.

Turns out a great way to prepare for space is to go underground.

Swipe through to see how it happened.

📹 @europeanspaceagency 
📸 ESA/ V. Crobu"

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 5,132
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 41

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| NASA’s Johnson Space Center | @nasajohnson | https://gondola.cc/nasajohnson | Government Organization |
| JAXA有人宇宙技術部門の公式アカウント | @jaxa_kibo | https://gondola.cc/jaxa_kibo | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Content Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Video Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Senior Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Coordinator |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Subtitler |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Strategist |

## Tags

europeanspaceagency, astronauts

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