New Delhi: The Crew of the Axiom 4 mission to the International Space Station with ISRO Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla has travelled to the SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne for pressurisation tests and the measurements for their custom spacesuits. The four crew members also got their first introduction to the SpaceX Dragon, which will be the spaceship that transports them to the International Space Station on a short mission in 2025. This will be the first flight to the orbital platform for Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Sławosz Uznański from Poland, as well as the Pilot of the spaceship, Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla. The Commander, Peggy Whitson holds the record for spending the most amount of time on the International Space Station, over the course of multiple visits.
The crew members have started familiarising themselves with the SpaceX Dragon spaceship, as well as the Falcon 9 rocket. The crew will receive additional training on orbital mechanics, operations in microgravity, emergency preparedness, ingress and egress exercises from their spacesuits, as well as both partial and full mission simulations. The crew of four will also be using the extensive training facilities at the Johnson Space Centre, where they will be preparing for the private, commercial flight to the International Space Station as well.
How to train an astronaut
The rigorous training process is expected to continue over the next several months, that will provide the crew members with the skills and knowledge necessary for the mission. The crew members will be going through NASA’s thorough training programme as well, engaging in a number of simulations, technical drills and training specific to the Axiom 4 mission. This training covers everything from payload operations, to emergency protocols. Shubhanshu Shukla has also previously undergone training at Star City in Russia and the dedicated facilities set up at the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru.
