Astronaut Leadership in the Arctic Led by 6 times Astronaut Michael Foale Build your leadership & teamwork skills in one of the wildest & most outstanding environments on Earth Experience the amazing Aurora Borealis WWW.ISSET.ORG
Astronauts are so able, amazingly well trained, have accomplished so many complex tasks and have worked with so many diverse groups from vastly differing cultures that they bring a belief and pass on a certainty that any problems can be solved through teamwork and partnership. Jay Honeycutt, Former NASA Space Centre Director, President of Space Operations, Lockheed Martin What is the Astronaut Leadership Experience? The women and men who are astronauts are amongst the most talented people on earth. Astronauts increase their leadership and team building skills by undertaking outdoor leadership training programmes. You have the thrilling opportunity to join astronauts and astronaut trainers on the Astronaut Leadership Experience, which is based on the astronaut outdoor leadership programme and is designed by the very people who carry out such work. The Arctic wilderness is a very welll equipped region to carry out the programme. In Photo: With NASA Astronaut and Space Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly on the Polar Ice Cap during a previous Arctic Programme
The Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is an untouched wilderness where mountains dive hundreds of meters into the world famous fjord. It is home to Norway s indigenous people, the Sami people who live in lavvo (tents), herd reindeer, and are completely at one with nature. February is the best time to visit the Arctic. The days are longer allowing more snow-clad landscapes during the daytime, and the February evenings offer the best of the Northern light majestic moments. There is no other place on Earth which stands a better chance of spotting the lights, and we will be situated right in the heart of this outstanding area. Aurora Borealis The Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights, is mesmerising and one of the natural world s most astonishing phenomena. The Aurora can be seen the strongest near the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere. The Aurora often appears in a striking green or light rose colour, that can change to yellow or red. The Aurora is caused by streams of charged particles from the Sun which are directed by the Earth s magnetic field towards the Polar Regions. You can hear first-hand from Astronaut Michael Foale what the Aurora looks like from space and how it differs from our viewing in the Arctic. The Astronaut Leadership Experience was the best week of my life. Jonathan Williams, Cardiff University *The Aurora is a natural phenoma and therefore its occurance cannot be guaranteed.
Meet the Team Mike Foale - NASA Astronaut & ISS Commander Michael Foale is a British born NASA astronaut with experience of six NASA space missions. His missions include him carrying out space walks, bringing the Hubble Space Telescope back to life, being Commander of the International Space Station and having had a lead role in saving the Russian Mir Space Station as it tumbled out of control around the Earth. He is an astrophysicist by training. Chris Barber - Space Educationalist Founder of the International Space School Educational Trust (ISSET). ISSET has been developed to be the UK s most exciting space educational organisation, running programmes in the Arctic, the Alps, Mongolia, China, Australia, India, Russia, USA & the UK. Chris has had extensive careers in finance and education. He is also a Leadership and Organisational Improvement Consultant. Chris leads the Dandeli Wildlife Programme in India With NASA Astronaut, Space Shuttle & Space Station Commander Mark Kelly on the Arctic Programme With Space Shuttle Commander Ken Ham, in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia With NASA Astronaut Ron Garan in the Lake District, UK
Leadership & Team Building During the programme the explorers will take on a range of leadership roles: Designated Leadership: taking responsibility for the group and its goals Active Membership: supporting the designated leader and participating in group decision Collegiate Leadership: the team works together, supports each other and is proactive in achieving group goals Personal Leadership: explorers take care of themselves, show initiative and improve their skills and competencies. Great leaders have certain skills which are the same whether you are outdoors, at work or at home: General Behaviour: cooperation, conflict resolution, teamwork, motivation, making the most of diverse people and their skills Communication: empathy, timing, clear feedback, active listening and expressing what you think and need, choosing the best communication media for the job in hand, including best use of digital communication technologies Decision-Making: utilising the strengths and skills of the group, organisation, management and developing good judgement Dealing with Challenge: adapting to changes and unknowns, taking on hard work and challenges, seeing challenges as opportunities, humour, keeping perspective, thinking clearly under pressure Self-Awareness: know your strengths and weaknesses, benefit from experience, understand your own leadership style and how it influences others and take account of how your words and actions affect others Vision: having the end in mind, taking initiatives, being creative, establishing goals to guide group actions and being able to make progress in adversity
Draft Itinerary [ The indicative programme may be amended and improved ] 01 Tromsø and Welcome Dinner Fly to Tromsø, the capital of the Arctic, a lively and beautiful city surrounded by mountainous glaciers, Fjords and islands. Check-in to the hotel in Tromsø followed by our team welcome dinner. 02 Fjord RiB Boat Safari Experience the remote Fjords and arctic waters travelling at high-speed on RiB boats. Surrounded by crystal clear water, Caribbean colours, and the spectacular mountain ranges of the Fjords. View white-tailed eagles, seals, porpoises and many more Arctic species. If we are really lucky, we will also be looking out for humpback whales! 03 Reindeer Sledding and Sami Culture Sami people are the indigenous people who inhabit and roam the arctic. Spend the day with our Sami guides and in the company of their reindeer herds. Drive a reindeer-sled, and learn Sami arts and skills such as; the ancient art of lasso-throwing. 04 Snow-shoe, Orienteering and Glaciers Explore the mountain ranges by snow-shoe trekking, taking in the glaciers and Fjords. Astronaut Mike Foale and our wilderness experts will lead the development of our orienteering, team building and leadership skills.
05 The World s Most Northerly Aquarium and the Lyngen Alps Visit Polaria, the world s most northerly aquarium. Experience the panoramic cinemas, and meet the bearded seals, Erignathus Barbatus. Travel to The Lyngen Alps where we will spend the next three nights sleeping in Sami Tents and Cabins. Dive into the wilderness on a nature. 06 Alaskan Husky Sledding Drive your own sled pulled by huskies! Spend the day interacting, cuddling and playing with the fantastic Alaskan huskies and learn the commands of the Norwegian mushers. 07 X Country Skiing and Aurora Chase Cross-country ski through the tranquillity of the majestic mountains. Spend your evening chasing the Aurora and gazing at the world s greatest natural phenomena, the Northern Lights! 08 Tromsø and Home Enjoy your final morning at the Sami Camp before being transfered back to Tromsø ready to fly home. The ISSET Astronaut Leadership programme is one of the most phenomenal experiences I have taken on. I found the programme brilliant and it led me to make some very big and bold decisions with positive outcomes. Gillian O Neil, CEO and Founder of 29 Studios
The Astronaut Leadership Experience led us to increase our abilities to work together and harness our individual skills with the result that we are now the UK leaders in our field. Guy Bates, Director of XMA For any further information or questions, please contact: Int. Space School Educational Trust Julie Woodcock ISSET 5 Herbert Terrace Penarth CF64 2AH UK Telephone: +44 (0) 2920710295 Fax: +44 (0) 2920 706786 E-mail: jwoodcock@isset.org Website: www.isset.org