Belarusian women cosmonauts complete zero-g practice

MOSCOW, 17 October (BelTA) – Belarus' representatives, who are getting ready for a space flight, have successfully completed zero-gravity practice, BelTA learned from Roscosmos.

Belarus' representatives Marina Vasilevskaya and Anastasia Lenkova, who belong to the main crew and the backup crew of the 21st expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), continue training at the Yu.A. Gagarin Research & Test Cosmonaut Center. Training sessions that endeavor to replicate zero-gravity conditions using the flying laboratory IL-76MDK represent one of the kinds of the exercises meant to prepare cosmonauts for a space flight. Getting familiar with an unusual way of living the human body is not designed for on board the aircraft is part of the mandatory training program for cosmonauts. This is why Belarus' Marina Vasilevskaya and Anastasia Lenkova have passed two zero-gravity practice sessions on board the flying lab under the supervision of experienced instructors of the cosmonaut training center. Before the flight they spent many hours learning the theory, regulation documents, technical parameters and the design of the IL-76MDK aircraft, and the content of the exercises the program specifies.

The first flight is an introductory one. The human body needs time to adapt to zero gravity, which lasts for slightly more than 20 seconds, and 2G forces. The aircraft follows a parabolic flight trajectory, during which the future cosmonauts float above the floor and have to complete a number of actions. They have to move along the aircraft axis and from one side to another using various handholds. They have to pass cargoes to each other and try to learn how to find their bearings in zero gravity. The aircraft makes up to 10 parabolic flights over 1.5 hours. Instructors keep an eye on the physical conditions of the trainees and help them get down on the floor before zero gravity ends.

During the second flight participants of the space flight had to put on spacesuits. They have to do it within only three zero-gravity sessions or within about one minute. Once they are wearing the spacesuits, they have to move about the aircraft and move cargoes as an exercise.

Instructors of the cosmonaut training center remarked that after the two flights on the flying lab participants of the space flight learned a lot and did a large amount of work. They also pointed out that Belarusian participants of the space flight managed to adapt to cyclic changes of zero gravity and gravity forces rather fast. Their movement coordination is well developed as well as their ability to orient themselves in support-free environment.