Space expedition tales from an analogue astronaut

As I was trying on my pilot style astronaut jacket with my name and mission patch on it for the first time, I knew I was on the verge of something amazing. I looked outside through the open habitat door and suspected this was going to be a memorable experience. I was right.

Two months have passed already, but I keep thinking about that very cinematic moment in my life: being one of five analog astronauts in the first UK analog space research mission.

It all started just a few weeks before my wedding, while I was fully immersed in wedding preparations. I received an email saying I was selected to take part in the analog astronaut mission. Imagine my excitement, but also my concern with the timing, only days left to prepare for my wedding (a wedding we had postponed five times and now finally were able to have!). Saying no was not an option for me. Only a few days after receiving the email, I went to Wales for the pre-deployment training, a prolonged field care course in an expeditionary setting. Over two days in the mountains we had to deal with emergency medical scenarios without outside help as if we were in space. The training was very, very hard.

At one point during the training, at 3 am when we finally crashed into our tents exhausted, hoping to get a little much needed sleep, we were told a sandstorm was coming our way and we had to move camp. This involved packing everything yet again and enduring the cold, crossing a river (while carrying a full human sized mannequin between six of us) and finding another spot for what was left of the night. It was all a simulation, a survival exercise, but I found it brutal. Everyone was tired and cranky, and had there been an option to quit for the nearest hotel, I think many of us would have gladly agreed! But we kept going, and we found a new spot for what was left of the night. Not that it mattered, as it was my turn to look after the injured person (the mannequin) when there were only hours left in the night. The point: for the second night in a row, no sleep at all. 

The situations we were put in were perfect for developing leadership skills and to test physical endurance and mental stamina. Now, in retrospect, I see it as a very worthwhile experience, although at the time, it did not feel pleasant at all. To the researchers however, we were “little fluffy rabbits”, similar to those studied in laboratories. They were experimenting on us, and their goal was always to put us in the most extreme situations of tiredness and exhaustion. How we survived as a group was critical. It took some time, but eventually we learned to function as a team. We were ready for the mission.

Four days after my wedding, I was flying back to the UK, hoping the difficult training would make for a successful mission, while my husband and many guests were still celebrating at home. It felt like I was immediately swapping a wedding dress for expedition clothes. My honeymoon was now going to be with the other astronauts and crew members, anticipating cold and exhaustion, but it was not difficult for me to work hard when one wants something as much as I did. Not the typical honeymoon experience, but by being an analogue astronaut I was making a valuable contribution to the establishment of analogue space research in the UK. That was how I explained it to my husband, who was not only supportive and happy for me to go, but would have loved to be going himself!

After the experience we had in the pre-deployment training, we were ready to focus on what was best for the group, and even had a few great laughs. This was evident when mission control sent us a song every morning, a song that was chosen by a family member or friend for one of us. My song, chosen by my husband, was the same song I walked down the aisle to on our wedding day, making me smile. The songs promoted team spirit and provided a curious and pleasant diversion from the tasks at hand, as we all learned a little about each other’s lives. I really felt unity in our team, as if we had all known each other for a long time. On another occasion, to avoid the rain, we all hid in a lava tube and prepared some coffee to keep up warm. We were supposed to collect samples and avoid an hourly ‘radiation storm’  as part of the simulation, but we all appreciated the coffee not only as a break, but as a bonding experience.

The mission took place on a remote, uninhabited and secret island off the north coast of Scotland. The exact location of the island was kept secret, the public not being aware of it even today, making it more realistic as we were in a completely unknown place. Our instructions were simply to arrive in a town on the coast of the North of Scotland at the appointed time. From there, we were taken by boat to the private island and then, taken to the habitat where we would all be living for the duration of the mission. The habitat, a gigantic tent big enough for all five analog astronauts, was placed on a flat area with a rocky outcrop behind us, facing the sea. Although constantly surrounded by insects, we were treated to the most breathtaking morning views. Our meals were dehydrated ‘astronaut’ food generously donated by the “Expedition Foods” company and eaten in the habitat. Even though dehydrated food does not usually sound that appealing, it was delicious. The spaghetti carbonara I had on the last night of the mission was exactly what I needed!

The goal was to simulate a space mission to explore another planet. There are many risks to health in space, as there are in any extreme environment on Earth, therefore an analogue space research mission provides an ideal platform to study them. Astronauts face not only the usual physical health risks of an expedition but psychological stress of being isolated and in a confined space for extended periods of time. Managing all of these risks well is crucial to having a successful mission. We were given tasks by mission control (via whatsapp, but we had to delay our response by 40 minutes, to simulate the 20 minutes each way that it takes a message to be delivered from Mars to Earth). We were completely isolated and had to count on one another for everything – survival, companionship and responsibility for the work.

Even though the geology of the island was not, in any way, similar to Mars today, we had to survey and sample several lava tubes as well as determine the best places for landing sites. We did a lot of walking up and down mountains. The island was covered in rugged terrain, which made walking difficult and exciting. Knee high bushes without paths, swampy areas and jagged rocks tested our resolve when combined with rain, wind and cold for 10-12 hours a day. Being reasonably fit definitely helped but it was still an intense workout and we were reminded of how important it is to retain a strong sense of optimism and purpose even under extreme duress. We all wanted to be there. 

I have taken part in a number of expeditions, but this one was definitely unique. During the mission, a medical team monitored all aspects of our health. The data was collected to test new technology, which will be crucial for future deep space missions. We also had a photographer/filmmaker and an artist to capture and record all our movements. Never in my life have I taken part in an expedition where an artist would be creating “art” from our tasks. That is something hard to forget. But something we could have done without was the huge number of ticks and midges. Daily tick checks were mandatory, and having someone else scan your body with a magnifying glass was very humbling. I thought that working together under hard conditions made close friendships, and it did, but definitely so did the daily tick checks!