"To Boldly Go ... " NASA Astronauts Taking the Lessons ofSail Training into Space by Bert Rogers, Executive Oirecror, Tall Ships America, wich Mark Scibinico, Galvesron Hisrorical Foundation/Barque Elissa was already excited ro be traveling ro the Texas Seaport Museum in Galvesron lase spring to be a guest day-sailor aboard che 1877 barque Elissa, but when I saw her ac the pier head early char morning-yards perfectly braced and sails experdy furled , looking sharp and proper in che bright spring sunshine, wich a brisk northerly breeze blowing- I knew I was in for a great day. I had nor seen Elissa under sai l si nce her triumpham emry imo N ew York Harbor, more chan thirty yea rs ago as pare of che 1986 rail ships parade celebrating che Scacue of Liberty cemennial. She was a breathraking sight then, with her proportioned rig and srately profile, as she was masterfully sai led up che Hudson. Now, I had been offered the privilege to sail in her for a day on Galveston Bay, and I couldn't wait to gee underway.
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7he 1877 barque Elissa, Galveston, Texas
As executive direcror for Tall Ships America, I'm nor supposed to have favorites amongst our 175 call ship member vessels and programs of education under sail. I have ro confess, though, to having special affection for Elissa . First, she is no replica, but an authentic and carefully resrored square-rigger-the real thing from the great days of sa il. Second, she is one of very few big museum square riggers that sail every year. Lastly, I have come to admire the great success of her training program for volunteers, rewarding them for the hard work of ma inta ining the ship wich che coveted chance ro sail in her. 20
The srory of Elissa's long career as a working cargo ship and her conversion and survival as a museum ship have been well and ably documented in past issues of Sea H istory, and there is no need to cover char ground again. (I encourage readers ro visit www.galvestonhistory.org.) Of particular noce, however, is her recent anainmem of a US Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection as a Sailing School Vessel. Wich chis certification, Elissa is now able to sail further afield and visit nearby ports in che Gulf of Mexico. This is a huge achievemem, not only reflecting the strength and readiness of the vessel, but also opening for her an exciting new fucure of sail training at sea. We look forward to her participation in our Tall Ships C hallenge series of races and maritime evems along the Gulf Coast next year. With her new stacus, Elissa is now somewhat liberated from her home berth in Galveston and plans are underway for more diverse operations further from home in rhe fucure. Though her original builders spared no expense to make h er strong and seaworthy, clearly investing in h er long productive life, I am sure they would be surprised by her longevity and rhe dramatic evolucions in her mission. Throughout che Age of Sail and beyond, sailing ships have served as modes of transportation for people, goods, and ideas; insrrumems of war and colonialization; training platforms for maritime officers and seamen; vehicles for exploring the unknown; and agems of rhe world's first true globalization. Ac their peak, chey represented che apex of technology for their era, a cestamem ro the highes t levels of scientific knowledge and skill. Their design, construction, and operation pushed boundaries and inspired innovation, and changed the face of rhe known world. The only relevam analogy today is in che pursuit of space exploration . As I discovered during my sail on 30 March, rhis comparison is surprisingly apropos on board Elissa today. As I was waiting on rhe pier to board the ship, I was chaning wich Elissa's port captain, Mark Scibinico, who told me abouc chis cool new program they recendy embarked on: "We're training ascronaucs for NASA," he cold me, with a particularly
NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Megan McArthur haul on a downhaul during sail training maneuvers.
excited grin spreading across his face. After a momem's double-rake, I goc it. Of course this makes sense, and here's why: NASA regularly seeks out opporcunities ro train astronauts in expeditionary skills to introduce and reinforce behaviors that are shown to lead ro success in spaceflight-and put those skills in practice in a mission environmem. Well, char has sail training wrinen all over ic! Gening more specific, NASA seeks to develop behavioral skills rhac are essential for successful spaceflight expeditions, including teamwork, leadership/discipline, communication, group living, and reamcare/self-care. Training rhac allows spaceflight crewm embers to nor only m aster these skills, apply them in an environment that has physical challenges, distractions, and even neuro-vestibular implications, is even more applicable to space flight. The high-srakes, outdoor environmem of a ship at sea does just this. It requires adaptability ro sicuations outside of one's comfort zone and lea rning ro manage srressful environmemal inpucs through focused casks and concentration. But astro naucs don't jusc need ro demonstrate good expeditionary behavioral skills in a mission environment, they have ro do all char while expertly puning to use technical skills without sacrificing their SEA HISTORY 160, AUTUMN 2017