PR25-2010: Call for Media: Graduation ceremony for ESA’s new astronauts

On Monday 22 November 2010, the European Space Agency (ESA) will hold, at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, the official ceremony for its new astronauts, marking the completion of their Basic Training.

Press and selected guests will be able to take part in this ceremony and see exclusive images of an intense first year of training for these new career astronauts. Following the official part, media representatives will also have individual interview opportunities with the astronauts.

“These young men and woman represent Europe’s ambition and great ability and expertise in human spaceflight and exploration. I am proud to have selected them and to see them getting ready for mission assignments. It is now our collective duty to secure a level of participation in international programmes that will provide enough opportunities for them all,” said Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight.

Following the successful launches of the Columbus laboratory and the first Automated Transfer Vehicle, ESA has become a fully-fledged partner in the International Space Station (ISS). Entering a new phase of exploitation of the unique capabilities offered by the ISS with a permanent crew of six, ESA presented its six new astronaut candidates to the press on 20 May 2009:

– Samantha Cristoforetti, Italy
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMHZJ0OWUF_astronauts_0.html
– Alexander Gerst, Germany
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMZ8K0OWUF_astronauts_0.html
– Andreas Mogensen, Denmark
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMCBK0OWUF_astronauts_0.html
– Luca Parmitano, Italy
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMIDK0OWUF_astronauts_0.html
– Timothy Peake, United Kingdom
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMFEK0OWUF_astronauts_0.html
– Thomas Pesquet, France
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMVFK0OWUF_astronauts_0.html

They have now completed Basic Training, the first phase of astronaut education. This included information on ESA and other space agencies and their main space programmes. It also covered space engineering, electrical engineering and different science disciplines. The astronaut candidates then studied the major systems of the ISS and transportation systems, such as the Space Shuttle and Soyuz. The training concluded with specific topics such as scuba diving (as the basis for EVA training), robotics, survival training, rendezvous and docking, Russian language, and human behaviour and performance training.

“I am proud of the work done by the ESA/EAC teams to bring this heterogeneous group of six outstanding persons to an equivalent level knowledge certifying them as career astronauts,” said Michel Tognini, Head of the European Astronaut Centre.

Video material

The several phases of the Basic Training have been documented. A camera team has followed the new ESA recruits for the last year on their way to becoming certified astronauts. Video documentation of the different phases of the Basic Training is available at the following location:

http://multimedia.esa.int/Videos/2010/11/ESA-Astronaut-Class-2009
More rushes can be found by FTP at:

ftp://esa-download:vid4down@upload.hwcdn.net
* Server: upload.hwcdn.net
* User: esa-download
* Password: vid4down
* Folder name: cds

A Video News Release will be released 22 November. Details at: http://television.esa.int/sche.cfm#

Programme:

Moderator: Michel Tognini, Head of EAC

* 10:00 Door Opening
* 10:30 Introduction, Michel Tognini, Head of EAC
* 10:35 Keynote address, Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA Director General
* 10:45 Human Spaceflight in Europe, Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight
* 10:55 Movie: Highlights of the Basic Training
* 11:10 Graduation ceremony
* 11:25 Photo opportunity
* 11:35 End of event
* 11:45 Interview opportunities with:
– Samantha Cristoforetti, ESA astronaut, languages: English, Italian, French, German
– Alexander Gerst, ESA astronaut, languages: English, German
– Andreas Mogensen, ESA astronaut, languages: English, Danish
– Luca Parmitano, ESA astronaut, languages: English, Italian, French
– Timothy Peake, ESA astronaut, language: English
– Thomas Pesquet, ESA astronaut, languages: English, French
– Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight, languages: English, Italian
– Michel Tognini, Head of EAC, languages: English, French
– Hans Bolender, Head of the EAC Training Division, languages: English, German
– Horst Schaarschmidt, Head (acting) of the EAC Astronaut Division, languages: English, French, German
– Volker Damann, Head of the EAC Crew Medical Support Office, languages: English, German

Media representatives wishing to attend this event are kindly requested to complete the form located at: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMRLCDR5GG_index_0.html
For more information, please contact:

Jean Coisne, Jean.Coisne@esa.int
or
Jules Grandsire, Jules.Grandsire@esa.int
PR & Communications, European Astronaut Centre (EAC)
TEL: +49(0)2203 6001 205,
FAX: +49(0)2203 6001 112

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Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield to Command Space Station

Chris Hadfield (Source:CSA)

September 2nd 2010 – The Canadian Space Agency announced that 2-time astronaut Chris Hadfield has been assigned to the International Space Station Expedition Crew 34 & 35, and will hold the historic role of Space Station Commander during Expedition 35 – a first for a Canadian. He has already commenced his increment specific training and is slotted to fly to the ISS in a Soyuz in 2012 and stay aboard for 6-months. Hadfield acted as Bob Thirsk’s backup crewmate during Dr. Thirsk’s flight in 2009 (Expedition 20/21) and will proceed with his prime crew training in Houston USA (NASA), Moscow/Star City Russia (Roscosmos), Tsukuba Japan (JAXA), Cologne Germany (ESA) and Montreal Canada (CSA) – the International Partner Countries of the ISS.

Congratulations Chris!

Please see http://asc-csa.gc.ca for more information!

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Calling Germany home!

Dear all,

So recently I made a move to Cologne, Germany to take up a trainee-ship at the European Astronaut Centre of the European Space Agency. This is 1 of 4 facilities where astronauts from Europe, US, Canada and Japan train for long-duration expeditions to the International Space Station. The others are NASA Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Roscosmos Star City Training Facility in Star City, Russia and facilities in Japan.

The Cologne facility is home to the European Astronaut Division, the Astronaut Training Division and the Astronaut Medical Office – all under the ESA Directorate of Human Space Flight. Based here are the astronaut offices (current and candidates), the Eurocom’s (NASA equivalent of CapCom – the folks who are the sole communicators on ground for crew in orbit), the training instructors with simulators & mock-ups (Columbus, ATV, Payloads and the Neutral Buoyancy facility) as well as the flight surgeons and medical support. All these folks fall under the realm of what is traditionally termed “Space Operations”.

My role is with the Columbus Systems Training Group – the team responsible for training crews on all levels and systems of the European Columbus Laboratory, one of the modules making up the incredible International Space Station.

Me with ISS Columbus Module Training Mock-up

In 3 weeks so far I have learned an incredible amount about the rigorous and time-pressured schedules crews must maintain, the incredulous attention to detail the instructors must comprehend and teach, and the dynamic and international environment in which a 52-week schedule makes life travel at the speed of light. But damn is it ever fun. This past week as part of my system familiarization, I sat-in on User-level training of 2 crew members of Expedition 26/27 – the “basic” first level of training on Columbus systems. Living the life of an astronaut for a few days was not only exciting, but incredibly tiring with 0900-1700 days (nominally) with an hour for lunch and 2-3 small breaks through the remainder – and a fine job these instructors do to communicate the most essential information required for the astronauts to learn. And our facility is 1 of many on a training flow including USA, Japan and Russia not to mention survival training, Shuttle and Soyuz training, USOS (United Space Operating Segment), Russian Station Segment, Japanese segments, European Segments, Canadian robotics training, the list continues with a 2-year training flow from crew assignment to launch.

Meanwhile, I am also competing to sit on a panel about “Next Generation Visions for Space Operations” at the IAC2010 in Prague, Czech Republic this September. Below is a video about my work and some comments on Space Operations you may find intriguing!

Cheers!

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