School for astronauts inside a Swiss mountain is not a metaphor—it’s reality. Deep within the rocky tunnels of Sasso San Gottardo, Switzerland, a student-led space initiative called Asclepios stages simulated lunar base missions. In the summer of 2025, nine international student crew members spent more than two weeks living inside the mountain fortress, mimicking conditions of a future Moon base.
The analogue space mission takes place in a former Swiss military fortress carved into the Albula Ridge, at around 2,000 m (6,561 ft) altitude. The underground tunnels stretch approximately 3.5 km (2.17 miles) and maintain a constant temperature of 6 °C (42.8 °F), making the site ideal for extreme-environment simulation. The crew lived in confined quarters, dressed in spacesuits for “moon walks,” used dehydrated food, and undertook psychological and scientific experiments.
Why this location?
The Swiss mountain base offers far more than novelty. The site replicates crucial aspects of lunar or Martian outposts: isolation, limited daylight, cramped habitats, and a demanding physical environment. Student “astronauts” leave the base only at night to simulate operating in areas with little natural sunlight, testing circadian rhythms and mental resilience.
“It’s about understanding those challenges and being able to study them here on Earth so that when people go to space, space agencies are more prepared,” explains Katie Mulry, a 24-year-old aerospace-engineering student and Asclepios crew leader.
That mission experience
Participants undertook full analogue mission roles: commander, science officer, engineer and others. They commenced with a simulated “travel day” to the Moon, lived for 16 days in the base, executed extravehicular activities (EVAs) in rugged mountain terrain, and returned. During EVAs they wore full gear and navigated rocky slopes meant to approximate lunar lava tunnels.
Inside, the students monitored biological and environmental parameters, notably the impact of continuous darkness on sleep, melatonin levels and gene expression—data that could inform future crewed missions to the lunar south polar region.
Educational and industry impact
The initiative is run by Asclepios, the world’s largest international student-led space project. It offers no fee for selected participants and emphasises practical training, cross-disciplinary teamwork and real scientific output. For students like Matthew Acevski, a PhD researcher in space plasma physics, the mission provided hands-on experience and career clarity.
“Every time you push your comfort zone, you become a little more like an astronaut,” he reflects.
Why it matters
Such school-for-astronauts programs inside extreme terrestrial environments serve multiple roles: testing technology and human factors, inspiring the next generation of space professionals and providing a cheaper, accessible analog alternative to full-scale spaceflight. Unlike costly commercial Mars- or Moon-simulations, Asclepios opens up to students globally and publishes results that benefit both space agencies and Earth-based applications such as shift-work research and climate-extreme habitation.
The path ahead
As the space industry accelerates toward lunar outposts and Mars missions, the lessons gleaned from Earth-based mountain analogues are critical. The Swiss programme underscores that future astronauts will not only need technical skills but adaptability, psychological resilience and team cohesion—attributes formed well before launch.
For the nine student “crew” of the summer, their time inside the mountain fortress will shape careers, reinforce ambition and perhaps mark the first step of their journey from simulated base to space. After all: a school for astronauts inside a Swiss mountain is one way to get ready for the real Moon.
Source: BBC
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