Introduction
Selection Process
Qualification
Training
References
Mission
Crews Selection and Training
Introduction

Six astronauts will be chosen to carry out the Mission2004. The number of astronauts has a huge leverage on both the complexity and the cost of the mission. Nonetheless, safety is always the predominate consideration for determining the right number of crews. The number six is considered to be the minimum, because it ensures a spare astronaut for the three main expertises, namely piloting, medical and engineering. This number is not the optimum value of performance against cost. 

Considering the long duration of the mission, the astronauts have to be capable of performing multifunctions and ready to complement each other all the time. Their primary task is to carry out research on the Martian surface, but they also have to be self-sustainable. This places special emphasis on their skills on maintainance of equippments as well as their inter-personal skills. 

There are 3 types of positions open for astronauts: Commander/Pilot astronauts who serve both as space shuttle commanders and pilots and are responsible for crew safety and mission success; Mission Specialist who are in charge of coordinating shuttle operations, planning and supervising crew activity, consumable usage and experiment/payload operations; and Payload Specialists who have specialized on board duties and satisfy unique requirements specific to the mission at hand. It will be to the applicants' advantage if they have experience in field geology, sedimentary geology in particular; rock identification and classification and laboratory research with an emphasis on identifying the presence of life. 

Selection Process
 
July 1st July-Nov. Nov.-March April-May Aug
Applications have to be postmarked on/before this date Applications will be reviewed by a panel in this period and qualified candidates will be contacted by phone Medical checks and week-long interviews will be held Applicant selected will notified by letters New Astronanus report to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas

Qualification

Applicants have to attain the basic requirements set forth by NASA. The following description is cited from NASA Human Spaceflight

"For mission specialists and pilot astronaut candidates, the education and experience requirements are at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics. For mission specialist applicants, three years of related, progressively responsible professional experience must follow the degree. An advanced degree is desirable and may be substituted for all or part of the experience requirement (i.e., master's degree = 1 year of work experience, doctoral degree = 3 years of experience). Pilot astronaut applicants must also meet the following requirements prior to submitting an application: 

  • At least 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft; flight test experience is highly desirable. 
  • Ability to pass a NASA Class I space physical, which is similar to a military or civilian Class I flight physical, and includes the following specific standards: for vision-distance visual acuity - 20/70 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20, each eye. For Blood Pressure-140/90 measured in a sitting position. 
  • Height between 64 and 76 inches. 
Mission specialists have similar requirements to pilot astronauts, except that the qualifying physical is a NASA Class II space physical, which is similar to a military of civilian Class II flight physical and includes the following specific standards: for vision-distance visual acuity - 20/200 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20, each eye. For Blood pressure-Same as for Pilots. Height requirements for mission specialists are between 58.5 and 76 inches." 

Training

The Training program of NASA will be employed and the following description is adopted from NASA

The training for astronaut candidates takes place at the Johnson Space Center near Houston, Texas. Candidates attend classes on shuttle systems, in basic science and technology: mathematics, geology meteorology, guidance and navigation, oceanography, orbital dynamics, astronomy, physics, and materials processing are among the subjects. Candidates also receive training in land and sea survival training, scuba diving, and space suits. 

As part of the Astronaut Candidate training program, Astronaut Candidates are required to complete military water survival prior to beginning their flying syllabus, and become SCUBA qualified to prepare them for the extravehicular activity training. Consequently, all Astronaut Candidates will be required to pass a swimming test during their first month of training. They must swim 3 lengths of a 25M pool in a flight suit and tennis shoes. The strokes allowed are freestyle, breast, and sidestroke. There is no time limit. They must also tread water continuously for 10 minutes. 

Candidates are also exposed to the problems associated with high (hyper baric) and low (hypo baric) atmospheric pressures in the altitude chambers and learn to deal with emergencies associated with these conditions. In addition, astronaut candidates are given exposure to the micro gravity of space flight. A modified KC-135 jet aircraft produces periods of weightlessness for 20 seconds. During this brief period, astronauts experience the feeling of micro gravity. The aircraft then returns to the original altitude and the sequence is repeated up to 40 times in a day. 

The formal astronaut training consists of a more specific and in depth knowledge of space flight. They must read manuals and take computer-based training lessons on the Orbiter systems. The next step is training on the single system trainer (SST). Here they must learn about the operations of theSST using the checklists, which contain information on system operations and corrective action for malfunctions. Following the SST training is the complex Shuttle Mission Simulators (SMS). Here they must train in shuttle vehicle operations such as pre-launch, ascent, orbit operations, entry and landing. The orbit training includes payload operation, payload deployment and retrieval, maneuvers, and rendezvous. Two additional simulators, a fixed base and a motion base, are used to train the astronauts. Missions can be simulated entirely from launch to landing. The SMS training is started 10 months before the actual flight. Once they are assigned to a flight, astronauts train on more detailed flight simulators. During the last 11 weeks before flight, astronauts also train with the flight controllers in the Mission Control Center. The astronauts and flight controllers learn to work as a team, solving problems and working nominal and contingency mission timelines. The total amount of hours in the SMS for the astronauts, after flight assignment, is about 300 hours. 

Other training consists of the part-task trainers such as the Sonny Carter Training Facility and the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. Here astronauts must train in a water tank that simulates zero-g. They also have to live for certain periods of time in confined cabins with a specific amount of food and space. Here they have to learn about meal preparation, equipment storage, and trash management amongst other things. 

After this the astronauts are prepared for their mission. Many astronauts have commented that the actual space flight is almost identical to the simulators. When the Orbiter returns the crew has to spend several days in medical testing and debriefing, recounting their experiences for the benefit of future crews. 

References

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/mars/human_crew/requirements/
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/factsheets/asseltrn.html

 
 
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Comments and questions to mission2004-students@mit.edu Last updated: 10 December, 2000