Astronauts train vigorously in Russia
Hazza and Sultan breeze through centrifuge test by spinning around at dizzying speed
What is it like to be placed in small chamber and spun around at a speed of 60 miles per hour (96.5km/h)? The UAE’s first astronauts, Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Niyadi, experienced just that as part of their training in Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in preparation for their April 5 space flight to the International Space Station.
In a video posted by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) on Wednesday night, the two astronauts-in-training were shown undergoing the centrifuge test.
The centrifuge test is used to train fighter pilots and astronauts to cope with the high gravitational forces when their rocket manoeuvres or leaves the atmosphere.
The machine used for the test has a chamber where a person is strapped in a reclining position. This is connected to a centre via a long metal arm that spins so fast it’s capable of generating g-force for human use. While the trainees are being spun around, doctors and trainers monitor the changes taking place in their bodies to see how they react to accelerative stress.
During the test, everything would feel heavy for the person, even his arms and head.
Those who can’t tolerate accelerative stress may experience what is known as G-LOC or loss of consciousness.
In the video, headshots of Al Mansouri and Al Niyadi showed how well their bodies fared during the test. Al Mansouri could be seen calmly controlling his breathing while Al Niyadi was shown taking the test in his stride. One of them flashed a thumbs up after the test.
On Thursday, the Dubai Media Office retweeted a photo of Al Niyadi sporting a space suit with the UAE flag patch on his left arm. The photo included American astronaut Jessica Meir, her Russian counterpart and their trainer.