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Cosmonaut training

Cosmonaut training involves the aquisition of all the comprehensive skills, knowledge and experience required for successful space missions, and this training is considered to be an important feature of a cosmonaut’s overall skill base.

There are three primary objectives of cosmonaut training:

Cosmonaut training is arranged in three stages:

  1. general space training;
  2. group training to operate a certain type of manned space vehicle;
  3. crew training.

Selection

The cosmonaut selection is not a public process; candidates are usually taken from the Russian Air Force, RSC Energiya and IMBP.

Rex Hall on cosmonaut pilot selection (from this 2008 thread at NASASpaceflight.com):

The AF picks young pilots who will make a career as a cosmonaut. Most have fewer than 500 hours. They do very little flying post selection except for flights in L 39’s. They have to undertake extensive parachute training, many gaining instructor status. Some have a higher engineering qualification but most attend University during there early years of training. It is a very different process than NASA. In recent times they have selected 4 to 5 pilots every 3 or 4 years. The fitting into the Soyuz certainly is a requirement. They undertake a 2 year initial training course and then do generic training for years which can include a university course or secondment to an agency. They support the training programme of crews. Each get 8 months in Houston. they undergo extensive English training. The current expectation is that they are likely to wait up to 10 years before a flight but this should speed up as we move to 4 Soyuz Launches a year. Medical testing is extensive.

As illustrated in a RIAN infographic, selection criteria include:

General space training
Общекосмическая подготовка

During general space training, the cosmonaut candidates have to acquire knowledge, skills and experience that make up the base of a cosmonaut’s proficiency. While undergoing general space training the cosmonaut candidates have to develop profound and steady knowledge in the field sciences that comprise the basis of space flights (theory of manned space vehicle flight, space navigation basics, design principles of manned space vehicles and launch-rockets, launching sites, etc.). They have to go over manned space vehicle design and its onboard systems and develop initial skills in operating those systems. They obtain knowledge of space systems tests, basic scientific researches and experiments.

The elements of training involve:

(Source: NASASpaceflight.com forum)

The training takes approximately two years, culminating in final examinations. If the candidate passes these, a session chaired by the TsPK chief will decide if he is assigned as a cosmonaut-tester or cosmonaut-researcher. The session is held by the Interdepartmental Commission (MVK), which consists of the representatives of Roskosmos, RSC Energia, GCTC and the IMBP.

A test-cosmonaut (космонавт-испытатель, kosmonavt-ispytatel’) has a more difficult preparation than a research-cosmonaut (космонавт-исследователь, kosmonavt-issledovatel’). A research-cosmonaut cannot be the commander or the flight engineer of a spacecraft, but a test-cosmonaut can be.

Group training
Подготовка в составе групп

After successfully completing basic training, a cosmonaut is eligible for flight selection.

The primary purpose of the group training stage is the improving of cosmonaut’s professional skills and specialization for specific types of manned space vehicles (namely the Soyuz). During this stage cosmonauts gain knowledge and practical experience necessary for the following crew training stage.

A cosmonaut may wait years before being assigned a space mission. In the meantime, he will be assigned to other areas, such as working in Mission Control (TsUP), and doing refresher training to keep up his skills.

Crew training
Подготовка в составе экипажей

At the third stage, i.e. crew training stage, the cosmonauts are required to develop the relevant skills to succeed in the forthcoming space mission. During this stage cosmonauts study the specific details of the manned space vehicle and procedures of its operating, mission tasks, onboard flight files. They practice their skills of cooperation as a crew by executing some elements of space mission program and contingency situations as well. They practice principles of performing scientific experiments and researches.

The cosmonaut training program at all its stages is scheduled on the base of separate training events that depend on the training tasks and purposes of a certain cosmonaut group or crew. The cosmonaut training comprises the following kinds of training:

This third stage includes ISS crew training if a cosmonaut is assigned to a crew, and/or Soyuz spaceship crew training (pilot or flight engineer).

ISS training

After completing basic training at their respective agencies, astronauts and cosmonauts assigned to ISS crews will undertake an integrated course created by all the ISS partners.

The sole focus of the Russian manned space program in the 2000s is the International Space Station, so cosmonauts will spend at least 18 months on specialized training if assigned to a crew. Training takes place in Star City, Russia; the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA, and at facilities in Canada to train on the SSRMS, Robotic Arm (Canadarm-2). When the European and Japanese modules are eventually placed in orbit, training will also take place at the European Astronaut Center in Cologne, Germany and the Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC) in Japan.

There will also be language training (English for Russian cosmonauts, Russian for those from other countries).

Training areas

Flight training

GCTC L-39

Pilot-cosmonauts are required to keep up flight proficiency, accumulating ten hours of flight time before their first mission. The 70th Detach Air Wing (Special Destination, named after Vladimir Seregin) was the aircraft support group for the TsPK, Cosmonaut Training Center. It was located at Chkalovskii, Чкаловский air base outside of Moscow (Pos.: 55°52′07″N, 038° 03′07″E). The aircraft flown was the Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros, a well-regarded trainer, and the Tupolev Tu-154 transport.

However, as part of their withdrawal from the space program, the Russian Air Force disbanded the wing in late 2009, and the aircraft and one Tu-154 came under the control of TsPK.

L-39 technical data
Crew 2
Length of airplane 12.13 m
Wing span 9.12 m
Maximum take-off weight 4700 kg
Maximum velocity 760 km/h
Operational acceleration + 8 g / −4 g
Engines 1 × AI-25
Thrust 1 × 1722 kg

Sky cosmonauts

17/8/2012

On August 12, 1912, the Military Department of the Russian Empire issued an order to create the first aeronautical unit. For more than 50 years out of 100, military aviation has been closely associated with astronautics. From the best military fighter pilots, the first detachment of space explorers was formed with the code name “Air Force No. 1.” Today, those who conquer the starry spaces are called cosmonauts.

Ten hours of flight before an expedition to the stars is such a training standard. After returning from the ISS to Earth, it is also necessary to keep fit and not allow the body to wean from overloads.

The engines are at the start, and there are no authorities in the cockpit of the fighter. Even a cosmonaut and a Hero of Russia must strictly follow the instructions of an instructor pilot.

“Ready for takeoff.”

This is how one of the stages of training of any cosmonaut looks like today – flight training on L-39 training aircraft.

“The barrel went. Here, motorists were pleased,” the instructor comments on the flight.

“How are you feeling, Misha?” – the instructor is interested in his ward.

“Full drive, I have not done this yet,” says cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.

Kornienko visited the ISS in 2010. Now he is trying not to lose his skills: he came to fly to the Chkalovskii airfield. Barrel, corkscrew, dead loop. At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the instruments, conduct radio exchange and navigation. Then it will come in handy in orbit.

“This is the ability to make quick decisions in emergency situations, which is very important there, in orbit. This is, as you said, adaptation to overloads. Because we are spun in a centrifuge once a year. And then I flew, got used to it, and the body remembered everything You keep yourself in good shape all the time,” explains Hero of Russia, pilot-cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.

Their official titles sound like that – pilot-cosmonauts. However, today pilots are far from being the only ones in the TsPK detachment: engineers, biologists, doctors become cosmonauts. Kornienko is just one of those who got into a fighter for the first time, becoming a candidate for cosmonauts. Although the passion for the sky is from childhood.

“Of course, the professional pilots that we have in the detachment, the cosmonauts, they look down on me when I talk about my flights, because I’m still not a professional. this is not paradoxical. I joined the cosmonauts 25 years later. Then the competition was great, this is understandable. And now the dream has come true, I’m flying,” explains pilot-cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.

“Flight training is like training for athletes. If he trains in athletics, then he runs well. The feeling of entering weightlessness – the body must be ready for this,” says the honored military pilot and deputy head of the TsPK aviation department, Andrei Voloshin.

The cosmonaut’s hands must be able to control flying vehicles, including the Soyuz spacecraft. Although the dockings are now automatic, you must be ready to take control. To do this – flights in formation, rapprochement of fighters up to several meters. The cosmonauts then say “thank you” to the pilots.

“It was the case with Salizhan Sharipov that when docking in the machine at some close distance, he had to immediately switch to manual control. Salizhan did an excellent job, a strong pilot, as I remember him,” Andrey Voloshin gives an example.

“No one wants to exclude aircraft training. We understand that it is possible to create a variable overload on a centrifuge. But on an airplane there is sky, there is earth. Everything is really felt,” emphasizes Mikhail Ranyuk, head of the aviation service of Roscosmos.

This became clear back in the 1960s, when, with the active participation of Yuri Gagarin, they began to form an aviation regiment for the training of cosmonauts. They say that Gagarin even chose the commander himself.

“He came and said to me: well, what are your difficulties? I say: the difficulties are normal, they should deliver planes, but they don’t deliver them. He: and who, what? I called him the plant, the place. and two days later I received the plane,” Andrey Voloshin recalls the help of the first cosmonaut to his colleagues.

Evgenii Ivanovich Panteleev commanded the squadron from 1967. He was one of the first to fly in zero gravity. For the first time, zero gravity was simulated on special Tu-104s in order to test space technology and train the first cosmonauts.

“Everyone said that we would install an automatic machine that would perform this slide in weightlessness. We were promised to supply a device that would record weightlessness in the cockpit. But I know that now the slide is being performed on the IL-76 , but there is no such device We had an elementary device that still exists – a ping-pong ball. I hung it and watched it when weightlessness.” Evgenii Panteleev shares the secrets of a professional space veteran of the aviation regiment.

Today, a weightless flight for cosmonauts is like a first meeting with the environment in which they will spend many months. For the pilots of the unique Il-76 laboratory, this is hard work. It’s no joke: to fall from an air slide 6 thousand meters high and hold a giant car.

“They may not be aerobatic pilots, like the Vityazi or Swifts aerobatic team. But these are the pilots who fly both the L-39 and the Tu-154, Tu-134, and Ilakh. These are pilots with great feeling and understanding of responsibility for the task performed. They perfectly understand who they are transporting, who they are training,” emphasizes the Hero of Russia, pilot-cosmonaut Vasilii Tsibliyev.

When preparations are already behind them and ahead of two weeks before the launch, the only thing left for the cosmonauts is to fly from Chkalovskii to Baikonur without any accidents. By tradition, the main and backup crews fly on different aircraft with an interval of 20 minutes. At the helm are the same pilots with whom the cosmonauts spent dozens of hours in the sky.

“Today we are carrying out a flight to deliver space crews from the Chkalovskii airfield to Baikonur. We are preparing a separate special aircraft for the delivery of each crew,” Roman Romanenko says to the camera.

Space crew commander Roman Romanenko in Tu-134 is at home. Moreover, he has more experience in the cockpit than in the cabin.

“It was at the helm of this plane that I flew, about 6 years old,” recalls Hero of Russia pilot-cosmonaut Roman Romanenko. “You can lie down and relax. This is very important for those cosmonauts who return from a flight. It takes about a day to return to Earth. Therefore, it is very important for them to have such a class on the plane so that they can lie down and rest."

Astronaut Christopher Hadfield, succumbing to curiosity, asks to enter the cabin of the “carcass.” The language of aviation is international, pilot and pilot quickly find common themes.

“I’ve been a fighter pilot and test pilot all my life. It’s a good plane, strong. I think it’s better if we know how the plane works. You know, the shuttle was old and the Soyuz was old, But you know, the old idea is not bad,” says Christopher Hadfield.

A new idea in aviation is to make the most of simulators for training. Cosmonauts are also waiting for this, but real flights will remain. Moreover, to work out expeditions to other planets, flights on rotorcraft will soon begin.

“Understand what vertical descent, vertical ascent, like the ground, the surface looks like with vertical approaches. Movements around its axis, lateral – left, right, sideways, tail back. These things are impossible on airplanes, so we think that one of the directions further training of cosmonauts will be helicopter flights,” says the head of the TsPK aviation department Valerii Kislitsyn.

The state aviation of Roscosmos is ready for flights. Waiting for new tasks, modern technology.

Clear skies.

Inspired by the sky

31/10/2017

The most important part of the training of cosmonauts has always been and remains flight training, which is provided by the flight crew and technical personnel of the V.S. Seryogin, based at the Chkalovskii, «Чкаловский», airfield. Each cosmonaut, regardless of whether he has a flight education or not, performs training flights on L-39 aircraft, flights for aerovisual and instrumental observation of the earth's surface on Tu-134LK laboratory aircraft and reproduces weightlessness modes on an Il-76MDK aircraft.

Flight Training Objectives

Today we will dwell in more detail on specialized flight training, which is designed to purposefully solve the problems of preparing cosmonauts for space flights by using the L-39 aircraft as a flying simulator. Day and night, in simple and difficult meteorological conditions, through various programs, exercises and techniques, a wide range of professionally significant qualities is formed.

“Our cosmonauts are divided into two groups: No. 1 – those who have a flight education, and No. 2 – those who do not have a flight education,” said the deputy commander of the V.S. Seryogin, Oleg Fedorenko. “Accordingly, each group has its own training program. The first group of cosmonauts, after working out certain exercises and checks by type of flight training in test flights, flies independently in the front cockpit. The second group flies in the rear cockpit. In the process of training, they also pilot the aircraft, performing turns, climbing, descending, simple and complex aerobatics, but only under the supervision of an instructor. Flight training is necessary so that the cosmonaut is familiar with the sky and imagines what he may encounter in space, for example, overloads, weightlessness.”

What professional flight qualities are necessary for an cosmonaut in the future? This is the distribution of attention in flight (the cosmonaut must quickly assess the air situation and constantly analyze the readings of many instruments in order to take the right actions); manual control of the movement of the aircraft with cross-channel communications (the aircraft can move in three planes, so when piloting the cosmonaut must understand in which plane he is and how the aircraft behaves. These skills will be useful in space, for example, when maneuvering relative to the station); joint activities, team work; discretion and radio discretion (a lot of planes fly in the airspace, therefore there is a constant radio exchange in the air, and among all the information you need to catch exactly what they tell you, and also transmit the data yourself so that you can be understood on the ground. Similarly, there is a connection with the center flight guidance, when cosmonauts are reporting from space).

In addition to the above, in the process of specialized flight training, the cosmonaut also learns to conduct visual orientation, make prompt management decisions, acquire psychophysiological stability and the adequacy of the space-time image of the flight to the tasks being solved.

First step to heaven

Naturally, no one is allowed to fly right away – you must first undergo theoretical training, train on simulators, pass tests on the aircraft, engine, aircraft and electronic equipment, and rehearse actions in special cases in flight. Before each flight shift, the following tasks are set: independent training, during which cosmonauts discuss all issues related to the performance of flights with their flight commanders, flight instructors; filling out documentation; aviation equipment training, navigational training and radio communication training. The first flight is always introductory. “We are taking off and passing through our entire flight area, occupying flight zones, showing characteristic landmarks, then we arrive at the airfield area, we fly in a circle,” said Marat Khalikov, commander of the L-39 aviation squadron.

“In the first flight, I was a little confused by the very large amount of information that falls off at once,” recalls test cosmonaut Dmitrii Petelin. “It’s one thing when everything is shown and told to you on the ground, and it’s quite another when you need to apply the acquired knowledge and skills in the air. Of course, before the first flight, we trained a lot, tried to fly from start to finish on computer simulators, but when you put on a protective helmet, get into the cockpit, buckle up, everything is completely different. The first few flights are just getting used to the cockpit, getting used to the plane and flying it a bit to see how it reacts to the deflection of the rudders. Now, of course, with experience, many things no longer cause much difficulty.

To achieve the goals of flight training of cosmonauts, a number of programs, exercises and basic methods for their implementation are used. The specific task for the cosmonaut for each flight is determined by the instructor, methodologist and psychophysiologist of TsPK. The task can be, for example, as follows: in preparation for the flight, plot a flight route to the zone, calculate the flight, determine the calculated bearings, study the data of radio communications and alternate airfields, and characteristic linear and area landmarks. At night, the cosmonaut also works with the starry sky, systematically monitors the readings of flight and navigation instruments, and reads their readings in order to compile radiograms in the prescribed form.

“Night flights are more difficult in terms of orientation – you have to look more on instruments, especially if there is cloud cover,” test cosmonaut Ivan Vagner shared. “Very fine control requires maximum concentration. But at night you can see extraordinary beauty. From above, the stars and the moon shine, and below, in the breaks of clouds, you can see the luminous lights of the city and the highway.

“Once you’ve tasted flight …”

The success of aircraft navigation will be determined by the cosmonaut’s ability to comprehensively use the flight and navigation instruments of the aircraft and ground-based radio equipment, i.e. maintain the course, speed, altitude, rolls during turns, strictly take into account the flight time and, in addition, use ground radio stations, direction finders and radar stations to control and correct the path. Preparation for the flight should be carried out in such a way as to make the most expedient use of the available means of aircraft navigation.

“What the sky means to me, I will say in the words of Leonardo da Vinci: “Once you have tasted flight, you will always walk the earth with your eyes turned to the sky, because you have already been there, and you are irresistibly drawn to return there,” the cosmonaut admitted. Test pilot Andrei Fedyaev, who, before joining the cosmonaut corps, did military service at the air base of the Russian Pacific Fleet Air Force in the Kamchatka Territory. “I think all the guys who are undergoing flight training will agree with me. Flying, if you already know how to do it, brings absolutely indescribable sensations. When here, for example, there is gloomy autumn weather, you rise above the gray clouds, and there you are met by the bright sun and snow-white clouds. A completely different look and a completely different mood. But besides the fact that flying is very interesting, it is also a constant work on yourself, on what you know, because the skills must be constantly improved, honing your skills to perfection.

On average, 15 hours a year are allocated for specialized flight training for each cosmonaut. Each time the exercises and tasks become more difficult. Simple aerobatics is replaced by complex ones, and after it, as a rule, flights for group flying are planned, because in space cosmonauts also make rendezvous and docking with the station, but for now they work it out on the L-39. At a speed of 400-500 km/h, the cosmonaut should immediately notice the slightest change in distance (whether he is behind or catching up) and how to correct the deviation. After mastering the skills of group flying, the tasks become even more complicated – these are flights at low altitude, where there is no time to think, but you need to instantly respond to the situation.

“All the guys from the cosmonaut corps are very literate and hardworking,” notes Marat Khalikov. “I think if they entered the flight school, they would not have any problems there, since they perceive all the information in a timely manner and quickly. I showed it once or twice, and they already do everything themselves. Sometimes you even think: “Who made the figure better – me or him?” smiles. It is clear that the figures are simple – turns, dives, slides … But still, well done guys!

Closer to space only the sky! Flight training of cosmonauts on L-39 aircraft

30/6/2020

“Ready for takeoff!” the cosmonaut reports. Before that – the setting of tasks and preliminary preparation on Earth. “Training goes from simple to complex,” explained Andrei Voloshin, Honored Military Pilot of Russia, commander of the joint aviation detachment of the TsPK. “First, the cosmonauts perform simple aerobatics – “turns”, “dive”, “slides” with an angle of 30, 45 degrees. As we master these figures, we move on to complex aerobatics – “flip,” “loop,” “oblique loop.”

Flight training on the L-39 training aircraft in the cosmonauts’ schedule is held regularly. For cosmonauts with a flight education, it is necessary to fly at least 10 hours a year. The most trained cosmonauts fly independently. In order to successfully complete the flight training course, cosmonaut-engineers who do not have a flight education are scheduled for a longer flight time – at least 20 hours, and all their flights are under the supervision of an instructor.

The flight training program includes theoretical classes on the study of the fundamentals of aerodynamics, the design and systems of an aircraft, an engine, and the principles of aircraft control.

Flight training develops professionally significant qualities in cosmonauts, such as: resistance to overloads, work with on-board documentation and equipment in the cockpit, the ability to properly distribute attention, report and at the same time perform aerobatic maneuvers, and also orient over terrain.

Andrei Voloshin explained the significance of flights in the training of cosmonauts: “Work in the sky develops coordination of movements. Even when performing a simple turn, arms, legs, eyes, head are involved. Plus, you need to report: the instructor in flight gives the cosmonaut a task – this may be a question about the layout of the spacecraft, the operation of one of the Soyuz systems, or even such a task – to read a poem by A.S. Pushkin.”

According to the commander of the aviation detachment, such training increases the amount of attention of a person and develops the ability to withstand the mode of multifunctional and different work – aircraft control and reporting at the same time.

Currently, flights on the L-39 to maintain professional skills are performed by an experienced cosmonaut, Alexander Misurkin and, together with him, preparing for a flight into space, Anna Kikina.

She began her flight training as an cosmonaut candidate. “It was unfamiliar, so we had to make some efforts in order to figure it out, understand, work out. First, tests were passed, permits were obtained, theory was studied, and later, under the supervision of our experienced TsPK instructors, began to practice,” Anna Kikina noted. “This is a very good training, it keeps you in good shape and helps to develop the cosmonaut’s ability to quickly navigate in space, to work out the skills to control the aircraft in real time with the correct distribution of attention. It is necessary to read the information correctly and respond to changing parameters. At the same time, when you conduct a timely radio exchange, the spatial imagination of the air situation in which you are is trained.

According to the instructors, cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin and Anna Kikina fully completed their flight tasks. The weather conditions in the zones corresponded, and this made it possible to complete all three flights per flight shift.

More L-39 news articles from TsPK (in Russian):

Hydrolaboratory

Simulators

Zero-g flights

Miscellaneous training

Space psychology. Survival test

TsPK, 1/7/2010

How is psychological training important for cosmonauts? How can stress affect crew spaceship? What tests will be implemented in the future? What is the psychological preparation of cosmonauts? The psychologists of Star City have gained unique experience in maintaining the mental state of cosmonauts on the ISS, and yet the range of problems – behavior and performance in difficult conditions – is very wide.

The effect of toxic substances in the air of the station, and of small doses of cosmic radiation has a damaging effect on the human psyche as an unusual environment and closed space. But it is also necessary to take into account the problems of psycho-social adaptation of crew members. Psychologists explain to cosmonauts methods of psychological self-control, adaptation to stressful situations and self-correction of one’s own behavior. They help to master certain techniques and techniques that give the ability to use the power of stress to one’s advantage. Thanks to them our cosmonauts can take control of the situation in emergency cases and make an informed decision. In general, our domestic psychological flight training school is so strong that the term “gold standard” is applicable to it in psychology.

Guest of the program – senior researcher of the Center cosmonaut training, psychologist Rostislav Bogdashevsky; program host – Maria Kulakovskaya

Psychological preparation of cosmonauts

Doctors have been preparing cosmonauts for flights for more than half a century at Star City. Under their attention, centrifuge tests are underway, in pressure chamber, hydrolaboratories and on space device simulators. The program also includes survival training. In winter they take place in the forest near Moscow, in the summer – in Sevastopol, at the Black Sea Fleet base.

Says cosmonaut, Hero of Russia Gennadii Padalka: “It’s hard. But to say that it’s unbearable, no, of course. Moreover, our instructors and doctors are nearby, therefore, in principle, the meaning of all training is not to exhaust a person, but to give him skills. In this case, in a serious situation, training will come in handy. Do you feel that there is onboard people who can help. Of course, this situation is not extreme, but always ready to help.”

The main criterion is, of course, health. Back at recruitment of the first “Gagarin” detachment, out of three thousand candidates, only twenty people were chosen by doctors. Any little thing can affect the flight.

Explains the doctor of the Cosmonaut Training Center, Aleksei Grishin: “Anything, even things like injury. We are emphasizing this factor. Illumination is an exception, then there is, in winter, the exception is special overlays on the sole. Recommendations to avoid slippery surfaces. Do not use bicycles, which foreign cosmonauts and participants like to do with us space flight, tourists. Do not walk in the dark, precisely because of slippery surface."

Health is a decisive factor, but not the only one. Sergei Pavlovich Korolev especially singled out psychological stability, self-control, self-confidence – qualities that cannot be measured by simulators. No one knew how the new unexplored environment would affect the psyche of cosmonauts during the first flight.

Olga Shevchenko, Senior Research Fellow, representing the Institute of Biomedical Problems, psychologist of the Mars-500 project: “Any psychological impact brings with it the whole physiology, the whole somatics. Therefore, to say that this is just psychology is to not say nothing. Because in a state of happiness you change hormonal background. The hormonal background brings a change in functions of cardiovascular activity, brain activity and beyond. If you have depression – through your hormonal background, through glands of internal secretion, falls, the composition of the blood changes, and the liver, and kidneys, a complete imbalance of the body can occur.”

It’s not just the enormous stresses that cosmonauts experience.

Aleksandr Vasin, a psychologist, Head of the Psychology Department of the Cosmonaut Training Center says: “There is a trusted psychologist assigned to the crew. This position was created specifically for so that the cosmonaut can always share his impressions, his psychological state. A trusted psychologist has the right be present at any training and observe how a cosmonaut behaves.”

Pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of Russia Fyodor Yurchikhin says: “I don’t think that all risks are calculated, otherwise there were some emergencies. Today, the Soviet Russian cosmonautics has practically avoided very many risks. And if you look at what the risks are in terms of human behavior in orbit, they there were a few times and many of them parried in time, again thanks to the psychologists who are on Earth.”

While preparations are underway for long-term space missions to the Moon and Mars, scientists continue to study human capabilities. For example, how will the crew cope with the psychological stress in the closed space of the spacecraft? “Martian” experiments prove that the danger of emergency situations is strongly exaggerated.

Says Leonid Kitaev-Smyk, a senior researcher at the Russian Institute of Culturology (RAN) (Rossiiskogo Instituta Kul’turologii, Российского Института Культурологии, РАН): “Man is the most adaptable animal. Therefore, having arrived on another planet and experienced, someone may feel at first impressions bewilderment, fear, then by all means experience the joy of novelty. They will adapt and work there safely. Moreover, I hope that people who are psychologically tested will be sent there, those who will have both self-discipline and good compatibility psychological with each other. Of course, there may be incidents. Could be that there will be a person whose psyche will change, but this is already a plot for fantasy novels.

In the meantime, psychologists help cosmonauts here on Earth. However, most likely, the future expedition to Mars will include a staff psychologist: to see the Red Planet and not go crazy.

Cosmonauts learn to shoot

TsPK, 1/6/2022

Preparing for an expedition to orbit, cosmonauts acquire a lot of unique knowledge and skills. They are taught not only to control spacecraft, to conduct scientific experiments, to survive in extreme conditions, but also to take amazingly beautiful photographs and video reports from the ISS.

In the course of general space training, 40 hours of theoretical and practical training are allotted for mastering the basics of photography. Cosmonaut candidates study the history of photography, genres of photography, get acquainted with the design of digital cameras. A separate cycle of classes is devoted to professional equipment used on board the Russian Segment of the ISS. In addition, they are introduced to such concepts as exposure metering and colorometry, they are taught the basics of composition and shooting in various genres. Photo and video training of cosmonauts is carried out according to the manuals developed by the TsPK specialists.

“At the first stage, we do not prepare cosmonauts for photography in space. Under the guidance of TsPK specialists, they photograph nature, people, and objects. Our task is to teach our wards to take pictures, to get interesting, high-quality photos. We understand how important it is to interest cosmonauts and instill in them a love for photography, otherwise they will not give the desired result later,” said Andrei Koshenko, head of the 13th department of the TsPK cosmonaut training department.

Often the area near the lake in Star City becomes a training ground. The teacher goes to the shooting together with the cosmonaut and gives him certain tasks.

These are pictures of test cosmonaut Oleg Platonov , made under the guidance of Vladimir Korotkikh, cosmonaut training specialist of the 13th department. Among other things, he was required to take a picture of a bird in flight, with which the cosmonaut successfully coped.

By the way, fixing a moving object is one of the most important skills. It must be mastered in order to take clear photos from the window on the ISS.

“Finding a certain object on Earth and photographing it from space is not easy. It should be borne in mind that it will be visible from the porthole for no longer than two minutes. It is important to take into account the speed, the trajectory of movement and have time to prepare for shooting,” Vladimir Korotkikh explained.

The cosmonauts begin the next stage of photo and video training as part of specialization and improvement groups. This stage is already closely connected with the tasks that are performed during space flight. Special training on board the Tu-134 MLK 1 laboratory aircraft helps to simulate the space flight factor, in which cosmonauts learn to find the desired object through the windows of the aircraft and take photos and videos of it.

“The laboratory aircraft flies at such an altitude and at such a speed that the “running of the terrain” is comparable to observation from the ISS window. Cosmonauts learn to take photographs in difficult flight conditions – with a shortage of time for an object to be in the field of view of the camera lens, ”said Andrey Koshenko.

The cosmonauts pass the third stage of photo and video training as part of the crews. At this stage, questions are worked out that the crew will solve during a particular flight.

Even professional photographers and cameramen need additional knowledge in order to shoot well in space.

Film director Klim Shipenko and actress Yulia Peresild also underwent photo and video training at the TsPK before going to the ISS to implement the Challenge project. Similar skills were acquired by their understudies – cameraman Aleksei Dudin and actress Alena Mordovina.

They were faced with the task of preparing for filming a feature film on board the station, so the participants of the Challenge project studied the nuances of performing photo and video shooting on board the ISS, related to various space flight factors, learned how to record video messages and get in touch with the Earth.

The work of professional cosmonauts is closely related to the performance of photo and video work on board the orbital station. They photograph various scientific experiments and targets, cover the life and work of the ISS crew, and, as already mentioned, take photographs of the Earth and other objects outside the station.

Thanks to the efforts of cosmonaut training specialists and the diligence of students, we can see the work of cosmonauts in outer space when performing extravehicular activities, take a tour of the ISS, receive congratulations from orbit, enjoy the beautiful views of our planet and the bewitching radiance of the stars.

On the recovery of a cosmonaut after a long space flight

In mid-March, Roskosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina returned from the International Space Station to Earth and is now undergoing rehabilitation after completing work in orbit. What does the recovery of an cosmonaut after a long space flight involve?

Post-flight rehabilitation begins at the landing site and during the evacuation of the cosmonaut from there to the Yu.A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (TsPK) (part of Roskosmos) and continues at the Center. The main goal is to activate the restoration of physiological functions and physical performance of the cosmonaut, and, of course, to achieve good health and a positive attitude. Rehabilitation is carried out by doctors and physical training trainers, massage specialists, psychologists and other specialists of the TsPK medical department.

The post-flight rehabilitation of cosmonauts involves a comprehensive recovery of the whole organism as a whole, while in the activities of the generally accepted medical rehabilitation of patients, the main emphasis is on restoring the local function associated with the underlying disease that led to the loss of working capacity.

An important feature of the post-flight rehabilitation of cosmonauts is the fulfillment of their professional duties during this period, including in the first minutes and hours after landing. For cosmonauts, post-flight rehabilitation is a continuation of work. In addition to diagnostics and active restoration of the functional state of the body, post-flight medical and complex scientific experiments are carried out, which, as a rule, are a continuation of the onboard scientific program. They participate in debriefing and analysis of the flight with specialists from many organizations providing the flight, development of an express crew report on the implementation of the flight program, work in the field of public relations and promotion of the achievements of manned cosmonautics.

Recovery activities are carried out in two stages: the acute period and the sanatorium period.

Each stage is from 20 to 40 days. Its duration is determined by the doctor based on the cosmonaut’s condition: well-being, the results of examinations and examinations by clinical specialists, clinical diagnostic studies and assessment of the cosmonaut’s physical qualities after the flight.

At the first stage of rehabilitation measures, the goal is to relieve neuropsychological stress and create a positive emotional background. At the same time, measures are being taken to restore primary locomotor functions, orthostatic and statokinetic stability, which are carried out in order to improve the functional state of the body after prolonged exposure to weightlessness and readaptation to earthly conditions.

This is achieved by various measures, such as: measured physical activity, massage, swimming, gymnastics in the pool, physiotherapy exercises, thermal procedures, the use of auxiliary prophylactic agents and, if necessary, the prescription of medications and specific recovery procedures.

In the early stages of the post-flight period, vestibular manifestations of the body’s maladaptation to functioning in terrestrial conditions can be noted. True, these symptoms quickly stop, but in the first few days after planting they can cause significant inconvenience and discomfort. And the task of the TsPK medical specialists is to level these symptoms and help the body recover faster after the flight.

In order to exclude functional overstrain, rehabilitation measures are carried out under the supervision of the crew doctor in cooperation with the physical training coach. It should be noted that these TsPK specialists accompany the cosmonaut before and during the flight. And by the time of landing, they already have a clear picture of what features can be, and what needs to be taken into account when conducting post-flight rehabilitation.

A huge role in the rehabilitation of the cosmonaut is given to physical training.

Despite the fact that all members of the ISS crew train every day under space flight conditions, the body undergoes functional and structural changes. Just as on Earth it is impossible to fully recreate the conditions of space flight, on the station the conditions of terrestrial physical activity can only be partially simulated.

The human body is arranged very wisely, and in order to save resources, it gradually eliminates all unused functions and tissues. For example, bone tissue loses calcium, and the muscle diameter becomes thinner. The human body in microgravity conditions “forgets” to issue commands to maintain balance or tension of the smooth muscles of the vessels of the lower extremities.

Thus, the muscles responsible for upright posture, the distribution of blood and fluids, as well as the neural connections that ensure the coordinated work of the body in terrestrial conditions, are partially lost and must be brought back to their normal mode of operation.

During the acute period of rehabilitation, the trainer-teacher conducts daily training, varying the exercises and their dosages depending on the individual reaction of the cosmonaut’s body. Every day a massage session is performed by a specialist in adaptive physical education. It can have one of the following directions: medical and hygienic, sports and rehabilitation, sports and training. This procedure contributes to the activation of the internal forces of the body, the normalization of its functions and the speedy recovery after exercise.

After a course of events during the acute period, the second stage begins – the sanatorium. The TsPK develops an individual program for the recovery of a cosmonaut on the basis of a sanatorium or rehabilitation center, taking into account the results of medical examinations carried out at the first stage, medical indications, the medical diagnostic base of the medical organization, the season, climatic features and the cosmonaut’s well-being after an acute period of rehabilitation. At this stage, various medical procedures can be added as recommended by the doctor and other medical specialists of the TsPK. Rehabilitation activities are also continuing with the methods of physical training under the guidance of a trainer-teacher. The training process during these weeks becomes more intense and gradually approaches the pre-flight loads.

Currently, cosmonaut Anna Kikina is completing the second stage of rehabilitation at a sanatorium in Pyatigorsk, Пятигорске.

“I feel well! The atmosphere of the resort city, physical rehabilitation activities according to the program and under the guidance of the leading coach-teacher of the crew, healing procedures of the sanatorium and the solution of all organizational issues under the control of the crew doctor, walks in the fresh air – all together restore my body. Every day I become stronger, I am very pleased!” Anna Kikina said.

A feature of the rehabilitation of Anna Kikina was that she spent the first ten days after landing at the Johnson Space Center in Houston (USA). However, even on the basis of the international partner on the ISS, the cosmonaut recovery program was carried out by a team of specialists from the TsPK.

At the end of the second period, the cosmonaut, having undergone a clinical and physiological examination at the TsPK to sum up the results of rehabilitation, can take the leave due to him after the flight. In the near future, Anna Kikina will return to her usual mode of work on Earth.

Then, in order to obtain permission to prepare for the next flight into space, as part of the next crew, the cosmonaut will have to go through the Main Medical Commission.

Emergency dental care: how to place a filling in space flight conditions

TsPK, 4/6/2024

There are no doctors on the ISS, so crew members must be able to independently provide each other with the necessary medical care. This is the focus of the biomedical training plan: cosmonauts learn anatomy and practice the necessary skills in various fields of medicine. “Lessons” are group and individual, “students” take exams, and closer to the time of the planned flight they “refresh” their knowledge in classes with specialists. Today Aleksei Zubritskii, test cosmonaut, flight engineer of the backup crew of ISS-72/73, trained to place fillings under the guidance of the leading dentist of the Center for Cosmetic Training, Valentina Stoyanova.

The kit that was brought to class included several sterile sets of dental instruments. Cosmonauts practice skills on an anatomical model of the jaw.

“A cosmonaut must know anatomy, be able to provide assistance, for example, with inflammatory processes on the oral mucosa, with each other’s fillings falling out, they can do all this with us. Today we will once again work on installing a temporary seal; a permanent seal cannot be installed on the ISS, because this requires equipment that is not in orbit,” says Valentina Zakharovna.

Classes on the treatment of possible oral diseases during space flight are necessary as the development of diseases, primarily pulpitis and periodontitis, can lead to early termination of the flight. Fortunately, the crews on the ISS did not have such cases, but the ability to put seals was useful to the cosmonauts about 4 years ago.

“The seal fell out in orbit, but they coped with it – the cosmonaut then flew for another three months, arrived – the seal was in place! Five points, great job! So it’s not in vain that we conduct these classes,” comments the leading dentist.

Meanwhile, Aleksei Zubritskii is diligently “treating” the tooth. The dental course within the framework of general medical training took approximately 15 teaching hours. According to the cosmonaut, putting a filling is not the most difficult thing; it is much more difficult, first of all psychologically, to do, for example, a tracheotomy. I would like to hope that all these skills will not be useful to the cosmonaut on board and will remain within the framework of theory and not practice.

11:48 AM Sunday, 9 June 2024