Astronaut Training Program

History of the Human Spaceflight Programs

• Pioneers of Rocket Science and Space Exploration

• First Space Flights

  • First Unmanned Space Flight
  • First Animal Space Flight
  • First Human Space Flight

• Brief history of NASA Space Programs

  • Mercury Program
  • Gemini Program
  • Apollo Program
  • Skylab Program
  • Space Shuttle Program

• USSR and Russian Federation Space Program

  • Vostok Program
  • Soyuz Program
  • Lunar Program
  • Salyut Program
  • Intercosmos Program and General Hermaszewski's Space Flight
  • MIR Space Station

Astronaut Selection Process

• Selection Process Roadmap

• Astronaut Selection Criteria

  • Psychological Condition
  • Physical Condition
  • Medical Condition
  • Technical and Science Skills Criteria
  • Pilot Experience Criteria

• Astronaut Selection in the Government Agencies

  • NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA)
  • Roscosmos (Russian Federation)
  • ESA - European Space Agency
  • JAXA - Japanese Astronautics and Space Exploration Agency
  • CNSA - China People Republic Space Agency
  • CSA - Canadian Space Agency

Astronaut Candidate Theoretical Education

• Basic Training Course

• Foreign Language and Culture Learning

  • Russian Language Learning
  • Preparation for Work in Multicultural Environment

• Theoretical Education in Technology and Natural Sciences

• Orbital Mechanics Education

  • Lifting to Orbit
  • Orbital Maneuvering
  • Orbital plane and inclination changes
  • Rendezvous and Docking
  • De-orbit
  • Celestial Navigation and Star Tracking

• Non-technical Operations and Communication

  • Social Media Usage S.T.E.M. Field Advocacy
  • Public Speaking and Space Advocacy
  • Photography
  • Amateur Ham Radio

Orbital Mechanics

• Rocket equation

• Delta-v

• Delta-v budget

• Impulsive maneuvers

• Applying a low thrust over a longer period of time

• Assists

  • Oberth effect
  • Gravitational assist

• Transfer orbits

  • Hohmann transfer
  • Bi-elliptic transfer
  • Low energy transfer
  • Orbital inclination change
  • Constant Thrust Trajectory

• Rendezvous and docking

• Orbit phasing

Trainings and Simulations

• Medical, Physical and Psychological Preparation

  • Medical Training
  • Dental Training
  • Physical Preparation and Endurance Training
  • Psychological training for long duration society isolation
  • Leadership and Team Work Training Courses

• Extreme Environment Survival Training

  • Winter Survival
  • Desert Survival
  • Jungle and Swamp Survival
  • Water Spacecraft Egress and Sea Survival
  • CAVES Missions
  • NEEMO Missions
  • Pangaea Missions

• Microgravity Environment Work Simulation

  • Microgravity Simulating Devices
  • Centrifuge Training for Increased Gravitational Acceleration Endurance - High G-Forces
  • Zero-G Parabolic Flights

• Emergency Situations

  • Water Rescue Operations
  • Emergency Launchpad Escape
  • Launch Abort Systems and Modes

ISS Systems Training

• Modules Architecture and Traversing ISS

• ISS Systems Usage, Maintenance and Repair

• ISS Storage and Catalogue System for Objects and Tools

• Radio Communication Systems

• ISS Orbit Changes

• Astronaut Exercise Devices

• Toilet Usage

• Personal Hygiene

• Astronaut Wardrobe and Wear

• Food Preparation

• Trash Disposal

• ISS Astronaut Sample Time Schedule

• Free Time Use

• Off-nominal ISS Situations

  • ISS Fire
  • Crew Medical Problems
  • Crew Member Death
  • ISS Depressurization
  • ISS Emergency Evacuation
  • Ammonia Leak
  • Water Treatment Problems
  • Toilet Problems
  • Problems with Air Purification and Circulation System
  • Problems with Power Generation and Electrical Systems

Robotics Systems Training

• Canada Arm 2 Manipulator Operations

  • Spacecraft Docking
  • EVA Assist

• Spacecraft On-orbit Capture

• Driving Robotic Rovers on Earth from Orbit

• Virtual Reality Devices

Space Suit Familiarization

• General Space Suit Characteristics

  • Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment
  • Space Suit Biomedical Systems
  • Helmet
  • Torso
  • Computer
  • Arms
  • Gloves
  • Legs and Boots
  • Portable Life Support System
  • Tools Placeholders
  • Patches and Insignia

• Space Suit List

  • IVA - Intravehicular Activity Suits
  • EVA - Extravehicular Activity Suits

• Space Suit Characteristics

  • Sokol (IVA Space Suit)
  • Orlan MKS (EVA Space Suit)
  • ACES and MACES (IVA Space Suits)
  • EMU (EVA Space Suit)

• Space Suit Maintenance

• EVA Space Suit Emergency Systems

  • SAFER

• Augmentation

Extravehicular Activity

• Space Suit Familiarization

  • Suit Leak Check
  • Space Suit Biomedical Systems
  • Using Special Tools
  • Using EVA Aids ie. Foot Restraints, Canadarm2

• Computer and Virtual Reality Simulations

• Neutral Buoyancy Simulations

  • Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory - NASA
  • Neutral Buoyancy Facility - ESA
  • Hydro Lab - Roscosmos

• Communication and Roles During EVA

  • Astronaut Roles and Duties
  • MCC Roles and Duties
  • Communication Protocol

• Extravehicular Activity Protocol

  • Pre-EVA preparation ie. Suit Maintenance, Pre-Breathing
  • EVA and Tasks
  • Post-EVA procedures

• Extravehicular Activity on Celestial Bodies

  • Moon Extravehicular Activity
  • Planetary Extravehicular Activity
  • Asteroid Extravehicular Activity

• Vehicles Support

• Non-nominal Situations

  • Space Suit Emergency Systems
  • Safety Procedures

• Extravehicular Activity Tasks

  • Photo and Video Camera Setup
  • Flag Planting
  • Vostok and Gemini Program EVA Demonstration
  • ISS Systems Installation
  • ISS Systems Maintenance

Flight Operations

• Navigation

• High-Performance Jets

• Soyuz - Avionics, Guidance and Navigation Controls

• Off-nominal Situations

  • Decompression
  • Fire
  • Launch Escape Systems
  • Launch Abort Modes
  • Emergency De-orbit
  • Ballistic Reentry
  • Jet Aircraft Flight Operations
  • Space Debris Avoidance
  • On-orbit Collisions
  • Off-nominal Docking Situations

Mission Specific Training

• Science, Research and Experiments in Microgravity Environment

  • Cognitive Science
  • Biological Science
  • Chemistry Research
  • Engineering and Technological Research
  • Physics Experiments
  • Medical Experiments
  • Physiological Research
  • Low Earth Orbit Exploration

• Astronaut Specializations

  • Commander
  • Pilot
  • Payload Specialist
  • Mission Specialist
  • Flight Engineer
  • Science Officer
  • Spaceflight Participants
  • Flight Surgeon
  • Educator Mission Specialist

• Pre-flight Traditions

• Pre-flight Medical Examinations

Space Tourist Training

• Space Tourism Definition

  • Stratospheric Flights
  • Sub-Orbital Flights
  • Orbital Flights

• Commercial Companies Offering Space Travel

  • Space Adventures
  • Virgin Galactic
  • Blue Origin
  • Bigelow Aerospace

• To-date Space Tourists

  • Space Tourists List
  • Application Process and Selection Criteria
  • Training Process for the Space Tourist Candidates
  • Space Tourist Tasks on ISS

• Private Organizations and Commercial Programs

  • HE Space Operations

• Commercial Crew Transport Program

  • Boeing
  • SpaceX
  • Orbital ATK
  • Sierra Nevada Corporation

Return to Earth

• Return to Earth Preparation

  • Undocking
  • Orbit Lowering
  • De-orbit Burn

• Reentry and Soyuz Spacecraft Landing

  • Nominal Atmospheric Reentry
  • Ballistic Curve Atmospheric Reentry
  • 'Soft' Landing

• Things that Astronauts Do After Landing

  • Medical Examinations - Sight, Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal
  • Physical Examinations
  • Dexterity Requiring Tasks - Outpost Construction

Astronaut Ground Operations

• New Equipment Testing
• Help with Training New Astronauts
• Astronaut Selection Committee
• Analog Missions
• Working in the Simulators to Fix Problems on Orbit
• Working as a CapCom
• S.T.E.M. and Space Advocacy
• Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Apollo Application Era Astronauts Tasks