Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory

We are offering you a unique opportunity to feel yourself a real cosmonaut working on the external surface of the ISS in the ORLAN extra-vehicular suit by diving into the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.

Various training facilities are used for cosmonauts’ extravehicular activity (EVA) training. The main of which is the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory of Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre. Here, under simulated weightless conditions, crews acquire skills for accomplishing operations on the external surface of the orbital station.

Neutral buoyancy – is one of the most effective means of simulating the extra-vehicular activity conditions. This method is based on putting space modules, vehicles and EVA-suit donned cosmonauts in the swimming pool under the conditions of neutral buoyancy, indifferent equilibrium and unsupported state.

This hydro lab is a complex training installation that comprises different technological systems and equipment. The main part of the Hydro lab building is a cylindrical tank, 22.5 m in diameter and 12 m in depth, with water temperature 30±5° C. There are 45 windows (0.6 m in diameter each), which are located on three horizontal levels, corresponding to different depths, as well as two windows (each has the size of 1.2 х 0.85 m) which enable observation and control of the test and training operations. The volume of the swimming pool is about 5000 cubic m. The water undergoes a special treatment and allows video- and photo filming through the windows and with the help of the cameras placed in pressurized casing directly under water. In the hydro lab there are full-scaled simulators of the Russian segment of the ISS, of space vehicle Soyuz MS and other equipment.

The cosmonauts train in a mock-up of the Orlan-M EVA-suit which is an air-conditioned model of a real extra-vehicular suit for operation in outer space. It has one single difference from the real EVA suit – it doesn’t have an independent life-support system. The air, required for breathing and the water for operator’s body heat removal are provided by the swimming-pool “beach” systems. Operation in the extra-vehicular suit mock-up allows to acquire skills and to master all EVA operations in Earth conditions.

The compartments and the blocks of space station’s mock-ups completely correspond to the exterior of the actual orbital complex.

You should send in your medical certificate by fax or e-mail 5 days before the training.
Before the training day you should arrive at GCTC for medical examination.

Program:

• Arrival at Star city
• Medical examination. Instruction on safety arrangements and rules of behavior in case of off-nominal situations
• Wearing of special outfit. Individual fitting. Training in the hidrolab according to the chosen program
• Personal certification
• Departure from Star city.

Note: the cost includes all the necessary permits, medical examination, personal certification, training.

Additional services:

• accommodation at a hotel;
• souvenirs;
• photo and video shooting of your training

Formalities:

• You should send in your application at least 14 days before the training with passport data of all the participants enclosed. Only people of 18 years and older can take part in the training.
• You should be medically examined and certificated with a permit for training. Your medical certificate is a personal document and only doctors will have access to this information. In case you don’t pass the medical examination and thus cancel the training, the payment will be returned with the deduction of the medical examination cost.
• Centrifuge training should be paid 10 days before the date of training according to the agreement and invoice.
• After the instruction and medical examination you should sign the agreement on the release from responsibility.