posted 08-25-2010 12:15 PM               

Chile is looking to space and the ocean depths for survival tips to help 33 miners endure months underground awaiting rescue.

The miners were found alive on Sunday, 17 days after a cave-in at a small gold and copper mine in Chile's remote north, but it could take up to four months to dig them out, and they have not yet been told the time-frame...

Having survived a fire and degraded living conditions on the Russian Mir space station in 1997, former NASA astronaut Jerry Linenger knows better than most what they are going through.

"The biggest mistake you could make right now is over-promising," Linenger said. "In my case, knowing that the space shuttle was coming in three months was enough. Psychologically, you need to know the end point..."

Chile's government has asked NASA for advice on how to keep the miners physically and mentally fit to face the months ahead, and want to send space mission-like rations down to the men, who are trapped 700 meters (2,300 feet) underground.

posted 09-02-2010 06:39 PM               

A team of NASA experts was at the mine, near the town of Copiapo in northern Chile, to dispense valuable expertise in keeping men healthy over long periods of isolation.

Already, the team told Chilean officials to be as honest as possible with the miners about their predicament but not to give them any fixed date for when they will finally see the light of day.

Simulating day and night was also important, to give the men a rhythm in their hot, dank subterranean surroundings, and Chilean officials said NASA was helping to rig up a lighting system to do that effectively.

posted 10-13-2010 10:56 AM               

Statement By The NASA Administrator On The Chilean Miners Rescue

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on the rescue effort for the Chilean miners.

"On behalf of the entire NASA family, I want to ask that our heartfelt thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the courageous miners, their families and friends, and the dedicated people who have been working to safely reach those who are still trapped underground.

"There is a lot of hard work ahead for rescuers, but the Chilean government and the people of that great nation should be praised for their steadfast determination. Their unwavering commitment is the reason we are witness to the joyful and emotional reunions today as the miners are returned to the surface one-by-one.

"I also want to express my personal thanks to the Americans who have assisted in this heroic effort, and specifically the NASA team that traveled to Chile in the early days of the crisis. For decades, the people of this agency have learned to live, work, and survive in the hostile environment of space. Our expertise in maintaining physiological and psychological health, and our technical and engineering experience in spacecraft design all proved to be valuable in a situation that is far from our traditional scope of work.

"I am proud of the people of this agency who were able to bring the experience of spaceflight down to Earth when it was needed most. As the drama of this recue continues to unfold before us, we pray for the safe return of each and every miner."

posted 10-14-2010 05:54 AM               

Three NASA doctors have provided advice on how to keep the miners healthy, both physically and mentally. And the design of the rescue pod is the brainchild of NASA engineer Clinton Cragg. Cragg drew on his experience as a former submarine captain in the Navy and directed a team of 20 to conceive of a small 13- foot-long tube to carry the miners one at a time to the surface.