Spring 2004

In astronaut training, most roads lead back to NASA

By Randall Chambers, Ph.D., DABFM, DABPS, BCETS

Internationally, professional astronauts / cosmonauts, spaceflight participants or International Space Station (ISS) crew members go through a rigorous selection process.

Being selected as an astronaut includes the consideration that, in addition to criteria specified by NASA and FAA panels, there is also a Multilateral Coordination Board (MCB) and an ISS Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MOP) which specifies criteria at the international level. These boards and panels, along with Space Station Memoranda of Understanding, define the processes and criteria for selecting, assigning, training and certifying space station crews.

Professional astronauts / cosmonauts are eligible to be assigned as crew commanders, pilots, flight engineers, station scientists or mission specialists. Mission specialists have two categories: expedition or visiting crews. Expedition crews often do physiological, physics or bio-astronautics research or study the effects of prolonged weightlessness.  Visiting crews can include visiting scientists, commercial users, government or military or civilians with special assignments.

Advanced training for astronauts and astronaut candidates is provided by NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and China.  Most roads in space training lead back to NASA, except in connection with China, which has, up to now, been independent in its space program.

ISS crew members receive basic training at their respective space agencies before proceeding to advanced training. The Canadian Space Agency’s CSA Advanced Training Program prepares for entering the International Astronaut Corps at the Johnson Space Center. Members of the European Astronaut Corps (EAC) have been trained by the European Space Agency (ESA) with requirements being similar to those of NASA.

Increment specific training is job-oriented and team-oriented training, involving tasks and systems knowledge, concentrating on multiple crew member training on multiple jobs.  Multi-segment training is provided, putting together payload and systems operations for the entire space station. On-board training is also provided, enabling the crews to retain proficiency in skills and knowledge gained in ground training. In general, the training will cover medical core drills, servicing, robot operations and specific skills. On-board training may require special on-board simulations. Refresher training is also provided. On-board training also allows crew members to train while in flight for the next flight.

During the ISS advanced training, expedition astronauts receive training in all space station on-board systems and participate in cross-cultural training.  Each international partner provides training for their contribution to the ISS to the other expedition astronauts.

Each country’s space agency submits proposals for the specific training or projects they wish to be involved in. Proposal acceptance and sponsorship runs through the MCB and MOP boards.

Those who participate in the Russian Space Station MIR program receive Russian language training, transfer to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center for 13 months, and then return to JSC to train to be part of the shuttle crew during the final phase of flight preparation.

Each expedition astronaut begins the ISS advanced crew training approximately 12 months before the start of expedition-specific training. Meanwhile, all visiting crew members and spaceflight participants undergo a basic customized ISS training program.