July 2, 2024
Categories: GCTC, Roscosmos, Russia, Star city

Preparations for the 72nd long-term expedition to the ISS are ongoing. Now members of the main crew and their backup are undergoing a cycle of training in the hydrolaboratory, in which cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner on 28 June practiced elements of extravehicular activity.

The water environment helps cosmonauts to achieve maximum approximation to the conditions of weightlessness. All the participants of the flights at one time in the process of training received the qualification of a diver.

Today Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner had a combined training, during which they practised several typical tasks to be performed during the spacewalk: opening and closing the hatch, moving and working on the outer surface of the station.

The cosmonauts paid special attention to transporting an inoperable operator to the airlock. In addition, they performed some target operations, one could say, “rehearsed” the spacewalk programme to be performed during the real work outside the ISS during the planned flight. Such extravehicular activities involve scientific experiments, so cosmonauts practise installation and repair and work with the equipment necessary for research.

Alexey Ovchinin has experience in spacewalking, so he can compare the conditions created in the hydrolab with what happens in airless space.

Of course, there are differences, because the earth’s gravity has not gone anywhere, and in space, it does not exist, but the conditions of hydro weightlessness bring us as close as possible to this state and it helps us a lot in our work. Besides, during the dive we move on to the exact model of the station, which makes orientation easier. That is, you understand in which direction you need to move, where to return, where and what you can leave or fix, so water training is vital for us, – said the cosmonaut.

With the participation of instructors, divers, and doctors Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner performed all the typical and target tasks that were set during the training  and showed a good level of cooperation in the hydro environment. Next week the cosmonauts will have two more dives. Now Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner are being trained as the main crew of the 72nd long-term expedition to the ISS, which is scheduled in September 2024.

More from this category:
June 13, 2018

In June 2018, it will be the 55 years anniversary of the flight of the world’s first female cosmonaut. It was performed on June 16,…

full story
The Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with the Progress MS-27 spacecraft was launched at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
May 30, 2024

This time the launch vehicle is not quite ordinary. It was decorated with images related to jubilee persons and jubilee events from the space history…

full story
September 22, 2019

The representatives of the Technical Management issued a conclusion on the readiness of the “Soyuz-FG” launch vehicle with the “Soyuz MS-15” spacecraft for the roll…

full story
November 24, 2014

On November 24, 2014, 05:48 Moscow time, Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft launched from #31 launching pad of Baikonur spaceport on November 24, 00.01, Moscow time,  successfully…

full story
January 28, 2015

ISS orbit to be decreased by 1,2 km, – Mission Control Centre representative reported. Orbit adjustment maneuver will be accomplished with the help of European…

full story
December 4, 2014

Preparations for the launch of Soyuz-ST-B booster with Fregat-MT upper stage and O3b space devices are under way in Guiana Space Centre (French Guiana). On…

full story
July 24, 2018

On July 25, 1984 Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman of the Earth, who made an exit into the open space. Outside the station Svetlana…

full story
June 28, 2019

Today, on June 28, 2019, a meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission was held at the GCTC, which summarized the readiness for the space flight of…

full story