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Chilean Miners Rescue

The NASA History Office conducted oral histories with members of a NASA team that traveled to Copiapó, Chile, to assist in the rescue of thirty-three miners trapped underground after a catastrophic mine collapse.

President Barack Obama meets in the Oval Office with some of the Americans involved in the Chilean mine rescue, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2010, in Washington

On August 5, 2010, a section of Chile’s San José Mine collapsed, trapping 33 miners 2,300 feet below the Atacama Desert. Seventeen days later, the rescue team discovered that the miners had survived the initial accident but were struggling to survive with very little food or potable water.

The Chilean government requested technical advice from NASA based on the agency’s experience in protecting humans in the hostile environment of space during long-duration missions. A team of NASA experts traveled to the mine site and were on the scene from August 30 through September 5, 2010.

The team’s initial support included recommendations on medical care, nutrition, and psychological support. Their work broadened to include an engineering requirements document on the design of a Chilean rescue capsule used to extract the miners. Consultations continued between the NASA team and Chilean government officials until the thirty-three miners were brought back to the surface sixty-nine days after the collapse, alive and surprisingly healthy after their ordeal.

Read more about NASA’s involvement in the rescue.

NameInterview DatePositions/Titles
Albert CondesAugust, 2, 2011Deputy Associate Administrator,
Office of International and Interagency Relations,
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
Clinton H. CraggJune 23, 2011Principal Engineer, NASA Engineering and
Safety Center, NASA Langley Research Center,
Hampton, Virginia
James Michael DuncanAugust 3, 2011Deputy Chief Medical Officer,
Space Life Sciences Directorate,
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
Office of International and Interagency Relations
Export Control and Interagency Liaison Division,
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
Christopher J. HarrisAugust 2, 2011Chile Desk Officer, U.S. Department of State,
Washington, DC
Albert W. HollandApril 25, 2011Senior Operational Psychologist,
NASA Behavioral Health and
Performance Group
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
James D. PolkMay 27, 2011Chief Medical Officer,
Space Medicine Division,
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
The transcripts available on this site are created from audio-recorded oral history interviews. To preserve the integrity of the audio record, the transcripts are presented with limited revisions and thus reflect the candid conversational style of the oral history format. Brackets and ellipses indicate where the text has been annotated or edited for clarity. Any personal opinions expressed in the interviews should not be considered the official views or opinions of NASA, the NASA History Office, NASA historians, or staff members.
Members of the NASA team involved in the rescue of the Chilean miners are honored by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010 at NASA Headquarters
Members of the NASA team involved in the rescue of the Chilean miners are honored by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. From Left: NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, Dr. Clint Cragg, Dr. Michael Duncan, Dr. Albert Holland, Dr. James Polk, Albert Condes and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.
NASA/Carla Cioffi
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