At the beginning of exam the crews got the cards with the list of off-nominal situations possible during the “training flight” on Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft simulator and ISS Russian segment simulator.

The crews were not familiar with the cards’ content, in the course of the training they have to recognize off-nominal situation and determine the course of actions, and terminate it.

The main crew (Alexander Samokutyayev, Elena Serova and Barry Wilmore) was to face the following situations in the course of trainings on Russian ISS segment simulator:

–          Lack of communication between Russian and US ISS segments;

–          Electron oxygen supply system Electrolytic valve failure;

–          Loss of connection between Laptop and central computer;

–          Urina tank fill;

–          Fire on Russian ISS segment to be terminated with the following atmosphere revitalization

At the same time the back-up crew (Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Korniyenko and Scott Kelly) practiced Soyuz TMA-M flight regimes (insertion, autonomous orbital flight, ISS approaching and docking with the station, undocking and descent) and coped with the following situations:

–          Thermocontrol system failure

–          Failure of main complex of telecommunication means;

–          Central computer failure in the course of the ISS approaching;

–          Descent module depressurization after undocking;

–          Central computer failure during the descent;

–          Engine failure during de-orbit burn

Due to the joint efforts, quick, correct and accurate actions cosmonauts and astronauts coped with all off-nominal situations. Following the 1^st training day results State Commission gave both crews excellent marks.