The resemblance between the sandstone sequences of the Bletterbach Gorge and some rock formations found on the surface of Mars makes the site near Aldino, in South Tyrol, a particularly valuable environment for astronaut geological training. Here, astronauts can practise observing, documenting and analysing rocks while developing skills that will be essential for future planetary exploration missions.
For this reason, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pablo Álvarez Fernández took part in a training session at the Bletterbach Geoparc as part of this year’s ESA PANGAEA training week.
The three astronauts have very different professional backgrounds. Jasmin Moghbeli spent approximately six and a half months aboard the International Space Station between 2023 and 2024, serving as commander of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission. Kimiya Yui flew to the ISS for the first time in 2015 as a flight engineer, spending around four and a half months in space. He returned to the station in 2025-2026 as part of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission, remaining there for approximately five and a half months. Pablo Álvarez Fernández, meanwhile, is a member of the ESA astronaut class selected in 2022. He has completed his basic training and is awaiting his first spaceflight.
ESA’s PANGAEA programme provides astronauts with field-based geological training. Its goal is to teach them how to observe and document geological features, identify scientifically relevant rock formations and collect meaningful samples. A key part of the training is also learning how to recognise evidence of ancient water environments and potential indicators of past life.
Training in environments such as the Bletterbach allows astronauts to practise field techniques that could prove crucial during future missions to the Moon and, particularly, Mars. There, the ability to interpret the landscape and independently identify the most scientifically valuable samples will be an essential part of planetary exploration.
