IN CAVES AND UNDER THE SEA: GOING TO BIZARRE LENGTHS FOR TRAINING
Before
blast-off, astronauts have to undergo a rigorous training programme
that involves them visiting training centres in the US, Russia, Japan,
Canada and Europe.
Each
recruit who wants to qualify as an astronaut must first complete a
one-year course of basic training. They have classroom lessons in
technology and science and learn basic medical skills.
Recruits
also become familiar with scuba diving. The similarity between the
conditions underwater and in space means the activity is an important
part of future exercises.
This
is followed with a year of advanced training in which the recruits
learn about the ISS in more detail and gain a better understanding of
the involvement of ground control.
Astronauts can then be assigned to a mission. In Tim Peake's case, this was the ISS mission.
At
this point the astronauts specialise, learning about relevant tasks and
becoming familiar with the feeling of weightlessness with
'zero-gravity' - or parabolic - flights.
Major Tim remembers his first parabolic flight as a highlight of his training, saying 'it felt very liberating, very natural'.
In
2011, Major Peake joined an international team of five other astronauts
who spent a week living in underground caves in Sardinia.
In 2011, Major Peake joined an
international team of five other astronauts who spent a week living in
underground caves in Sardinia (pictured). The focus of the mission was
to explore human behaviour and performance in extreme environments.
The focus of the mission was to explore human behaviour and performance in extreme environments.
He
said: 'It has much more of a psychological element. We all work
together. You get to know a lot about yourself and others and other
cultures'.
The
following year, Major Peake spent 12 days 20m days in a lab located
65ft underwater near Key Largo, Florida for Nasa's Extreme Environment
Mission Operations - known as Neemo.
Neemo allows space agencies to test technologies and conduct research for future missions.
Major Peake's mission focused on developing the tools, techniques and procedures that would be needed to land on an asteroid.
While some might find the exercise daunting, Major Peake said it was 'great'.
Tim Peake (pictured) said at the time:
'It has much more of a psychological element. We all work together. You
get to know a lot about yourself and others and other cultures'
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