Helicopter underwater escape training for ESA’s astronaut support team

Final week, members of ESA’s astronaut help groups participated in a helicopter underwater escape coaching. This coaching is necessary for folks concerned in astronaut touchdown operations, together with flight surgeons and photographers, who seize the important thing moments of an astronaut mission.

With European astronauts now launching and touchdown from NASA’s Kennedy House Heart in Florida, splashdowns after a spaceflight off the coast of Florida have change into the norm. As ESA personnel are current when European astronauts launch and splashdown they too must endure helicopter rescue and water evacuation coaching.

Held for the primary time in Europe, the coaching occurred in Rotterdam, Netherlands, tailor-made to ESA’s wants. The course taught contributors helicopter flight procedures, and ensured crew is ready for any emergencies.

Dry and moist

The course lasts for a full day, divided into theoretical and sensible elements. Trainees spend half a day within the classroom to be taught procedures, what to do throughout a helicopter ditching, and utilizing compressed air emergency respiration methods.

The second half of the day is devoted to the sensible a part of the underwater escape coaching, which grows in depth after the primary introduction to the water. On the primary spherical, a helicopter duplicate is gently submerged into the water after which growing velocity and even including rotations on subsequent makes an attempt.

As soon as escaping from a submerged helicopter, contributors obtain training on additional survival strategies similar to boarding a life raft and mitigating the chance of hypothermia.

A profitable certification for helicopter emergency water landings is legitimate for 2 years.

Prepared for splashdown

The following helicopter mission for the ESA staff is ready for the launch and touchdown of Andreas Mogensen throughout his Huginn mission later this summer time.

In case of a launch abort, a flight surgeon and the top of astronaut operations, at present ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, are on standby for a helicopter rescue mission.

On a spacecraft splashdown two helicopters monitor operations and supply emergency help. One helicopter transports astronauts from the restoration ship again to land and may accommodate as much as 14 folks, together with astronauts and medical help personnel. A second helicopter carries crew help personnel, photographers, and space company representatives.