L5 - Astronaut Training

Question 1

DESCRIBE THE CHALENGES IN THE ASTRONAUT TRAINING

Answer 1

30-40 astronauts in 1 year at 5 different sites
Teaching and training
Costly

Question 2

DESCRIBE THE PHASES OF THE ASTRONAUT TRAINING

Answer 2

Basic: after the 1 year course, the candidates become members of the astronaut corps
Advanced: 1 year course, familiarize with space
Mission specific: 1 year before the launch

Question 3

DESCRIBE THE ASTRONAUT TRAINING IN ESA

Answer 3

Basic (16 months):
	Orientation
Fundamentals
Space systems and operations
Special skills
Advanced (12 months):
Hands-on in mock-ups and simulators
Detailed study of all aspects of ISS
Mission-specific training (18 months):
Full crew and back-up crew

Question 4

DESCRIBE THE ASTRONAUT TRAINING IN RUSSIA

Answer 4

General space training (24 months):
Basis
Survival training
Final exam for test-cosmonaut or research cosmonaut
Group training (12 months):
Professional skills
Crew training (18 months):
Detailed procedures
ISS training and English

Question 5

DESCRIBE THE ASTRONAUT TRAINING IN NASA

Answer 5

Basic:
		16 different courses:
LSS
Orbital mechanics…
Payload deployment
Earth observations
Space physiology and medicine
		Train on:
Shuttle, Soyuz and ISS systems
Flight safety and operations
Land/water survival
T-38 flight operations

	Advanced:
		Shuttle Training Aircraft
		Advanced System Facilities:
			Computer-Aided Instructional Trainer
			Crew Software Trainer
			Orbiter Crew Compartment Trainer
			Shuttle Mission Simulator
				High-fidelity simulator
				Components:
					Motion-base
Fixed-base
Scenes
Closed circuit TV
Computer-generated sound simulations
			EVA Training Facilities:
				1G Mock-ups
Suit caution and warning system trainer
EVA communications
Vacuum chambers
Precision air bearing
Neutral buoyancy
Parabolic flight
Virtual reality
	Computer graphics
	Head-mounted displays
	Haptic feedback devices
SAFER (Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue)
Laptop computers on the ISS
Situational awareness
Final Intensive Training
Flight-specific integrated simulations (3 months)
Mission Control Center interaction
Joint integrated simulations with payload users
Everything can be simulated
Instructors 
Mission planning in parallel
Science Training
Lectures from geoscientists
Field trips
Included excursions into the Grand Canyon 
Essential to giving astronauts the skills and understanding to make observations
Crew Medical Officer Training
ISS: 
Evacuation (6-24 hours), stabilization, transport and trauma life support on console in MCC: flight surgeon, biomedical engineer on orbit: Astronaut Physician, ISS Crew Medical Officer
Moon – Lunar Base: evacuation (7 days), trained physician, telemedicine
Mars: evacuation (9-12 months), trained physician, telemedicine on console in MCC: flight surgeon greater responsibility on CMO: “treat in place”, no time for medical proficiency, telementoring, and refreshed module

Question 6

WHAT ARE THE ASSIGNMENTS FOR AN ASTRONAUT?

Answer 6

Representative
Selection
Technical
Safety
Institutional Review Board 
Back-up astronaut
CapCom
Public relations

Question 7

DESCRIBE THE ASTRONAUT JOB SKILLS

Answer 7

Psychological Characteristics
Patience
Tolerance of risk of bodily injury or death
Teamwork
Ability to represent the agency
Teamwork
High-achiever are type-A, high ego / self-esteem
Spaceflight is a team effort
The position of astronaut has changed
Skills
Understand the nature of your job
Learn varied skills quickly
Show adaptability, ingenuity, ability to manage time
Most of their training time studying documentation
Russians oral examinations; US astronauts’ oral exam in Russian
No formal testing for NASA until the ISS era