At Star City near Moscow
ESA Astronaut Luca Parmitano
is subjected to forces of over 4G
whilst trying to correct his trajectory
This is centrifuge training
where astronauts can rehearse for launch and re-entry
inside a simulated Soyuz capsule
The aim of today's exercise
is to keep the spacecraft under control
during several different re-entry scenarios
As a former test pilot
this is exactly the kind of training that Luca enjoys
Personally I find it challenging
but fun at the same time
It's like a rollercoaster
where you are controlling the rollercoaster yourself
and it's also challenging
because it's like throwing a dart several miles away
and trying to hit a spot in the centre
and so for a pilot
that's obviously something that I can enjoy
Launch day for his second mission is fast approaching
and training is becoming more intense
Soyuz commander Alexander Skvortsov
will pilot the spacecraft to the ISS
and as flight engineer
Luca has to be ready to take the controls if needed
Before flying to the International Space Station
they both need to pass Soyuz qualification exams
The instructors
can provide us with a very realistic environment
to perform our actions during a nominal simulation or emergency situations
Both of us train in all the roles
because the role of the pilot is in general to be the system expert
but I also have to be able to take over the command
should something happen
we always have to be able to come back safely
With safety the number one priority onboard the International Space Station
many training sessions
are geared towards what to do in the case of an emergency
Star City houses a replica of the Russian segment of the Station
in which the crew practise routine operations
and learn how to react effectively
should something go wrong
My crew and I
will be performing daily activities, daily tasks
but then we will incur into one of three emergency situations
it could be a depressurisation case
where something hits the Space Station
and we start losing atmosphere
it could be a fire
or it could be an alarm of toxic atmosphere
where on the American side of the Space Station
we have a lethal pressure of ammonia
very very dangerous gas
very poisonous
and we have to react very quickly
to save ourselves and the Space Station
In addition to training at Star City
Luca Parmitano has spent time in Europe and the USA
preparing for the upcoming mission
At the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne
he's been trained to carry out scientific experiments
which will have important implications
for both future spaceflights and life on Earth
And at NASA's Johnson Space Centre
he's spent many hours in the neutral buoyancy pool
rehearsing for spaceflights
to repair the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
In the spirit of science and discovery
Luca's mission has been named Beyond
and coincides with the 50th anniversary
of the first Moon landing
When NASA went to the Moon 50 Years ago
it was a giant leap
What we are doing with the Space Station, I think
is more paving a way
building a bridge towards future exploration
so that now we can do it with more knowledge
more understanding
we can do it in a safer way
and in a way that's going to stay longer
through our knowledge
that we have acquired in the twenty years of exploration on the Space Station
For Luca Parmitano
another long-duration mission
will be a chance to build upon the skills he's already learned in orbit
allowing ESA to advance its human spaceflight programme
and increase our understanding of the cosmos.