Vlog 5: Training update

Uploaded on December 20, 2023

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Vlog 5: Training update

2023-12-21 - As we wrap up 2023, CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen provides an update on the first six months of his training for the historic Artemis II mission to the Moon. (Credits: Canadian Space Agency, NASA, Fulwell 73 UK Limited)

Jeremy: We kind of had this neat experience where you can imagine what it's really going to be like to come up to this launch pad, have this living, breathing rocket full of fuel, moaning, and groaning and creaking.

Hey everyone, for this vlog, I thought I'd give you an update on the training for the crew. So we have been busy continuing to train for our Artemis II mission around the moon. Actually spending more and more time in this facility, which is our Orion simulator. So this simulator is designed to run the software basically. So for us to control the vehicle, over our nine plus day mission.

We have another one in a different building that is sitting upright, if you will, like it will be on the launch pad that has all the seats and that everything is in the right place, has all the storage. We can figure out, you know, how we're going to sleep. This one is all about actually flying the vehicle. So from the point of view of flying a flight simulator, this one actually works.

It's still in development, does some basic things. And as we go through this evolution, get closer and closer to launch, this simulator will do more and more and more until we can fly the whole profile in this sim and also do integrated sims with the mission control team here in Houston, simulating failures and working through problems together as a team.

So a really important facility for us and it's great to have it working now.

We've been traveling, going to different providers, so for example, Northrop Grumman, where we learned about the solid rocket boosters or over to Germany, where we went to Airbus to see where they're building the European Service module. Over at the Cape, where pieces are actually being stacked and put together, as well as Lockheed Martin, where they actually built this capsule and all the software is being developed for it.

So a lot of really great experiences for us to get to know the team and all the challenges that they're working through to get us ready to fly this mission.

We also continue to train in the classroom with the experts on various systems, learning all the technical details of the vehicle.

Christina: Mmm! This is good!

Jeremy: We've been trying the different food, looking at the menu they're planning to pack for us, taking lessons on how to use the toilet, for example. Some of the basics, but very important stuff. And we also did a simulation of launch day where we went to Florida, slept overnight in crew quarters, got up in the morning, had breakfast just like we will on launch day, got our pre flight briefing.

We left the building to get in the vehicle to drive to the launch pad, simulated saying goodbye to our families. And then going right to the launch pad all the way up the elevator to the point where we would get in the capsule. The only difference was there was no rocket on the pad that day.

But we kind of had this neat experience where you can imagine what it's really going to be like to come up to this launch pad, have this living, breathing rocket full of fuel, moaning, and groaning and creaking. And the view, the beautiful view in Florida on the coast with an ocean right there, it's going to be a neat place to leave the Earth from. So it was a pretty powerful experience. All in all, the training is going great and looking forward to getting ready for our mission.

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