NOLS senior faculty explain that wilderness training lets astronauts practice leadership in high-stress, resource-limited settings akin to spacecraft life.

The program emphasizes decision-making under stress, fatigue management, and reflective debriefing to continually boost team performance.

Commander Reid Wiseman noted that NOLS lessons on expedition behavior and staying steady under pressure resurfaced during the mission’s tense moments.

Wyoming serves as a core training ground due to its remote, austere terrain that mirrors spaceflight challenges, including fatigue management and clear communication.

NASA has partnered with NOLS since 1999, conducting more than 45 wilderness expeditions to prepare crews for long-duration spaceflight.

Artemis II astronauts trained with NOLS before their moon mission, with some sessions in Wyoming’s backcountry.

NOLS and NASA consider Wyoming-based training foundational for the psychological and operational demands of lunar missions and deep-space exploration.

NOLS instructors stress expedition behavior—putting others first and sensing the team needs—which translates to leadership and teamwork in space.