Advice and support includes NASA

The BBC reported last Wednesday (1st) the fact that NASA are now advising the Chilean authorities with regard to the trapped miners.

At first, I did a double-take.  NASA?  Why?

But, of course, it make complete sense.  Astronauts clearly have had to face the most extreme form of loneliness – that of being alone in outer space.

Here’s an extract from that BBC piece, which has been widely reported elsewhere:

A team of Nasa experts advised officials to be honest with the miners and not to give them “false hopes”.

The miners, who are 700m (2,300ft) underground, have been told it could take a long time to get them out of the San Jose mine, but have not been given dates.

The Nasa team, which includes a doctor, nutritionist, and engineer and a psychologist, arrived in Santiago after a request by the Chilean authorities. They are due to travel to the mine site on Wednesday.

All we can do is to keep these miners in our minds and hearts.

By Paul Handover

• consciousness
• Environment