JAXA Astronaut Activity Report

Astronaut Kimiya Yui’s training at the Tsukuba Space Center for a long-duration ISS mission

Astronaut Kimiya Yui, a crew member for the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 44/45 mission, returned to Japan in early January to train at the Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC) on the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” and the H-II Transfer Vehicle “KOUNOTORI” from January 7-15.

Yui and ESA astronaut Timothy Peake are lectured about Japan’s new experimental hardware, Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) (Credit: JAXA)

Yui (left), NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren (back), and Peake (right) are lectured about ELF (Credit: JAXA)

Press conference (Credit: JAXA)

He brushed up on the critical systems of Kibo, including Command and Data Handling (C&DH), Electrical Power System (EPS), Communication and Tracking (C&T) system, the Thermal Control System (TCS), and the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). He refreshed his knowledge and skills to properly respond to irregularities that might affect these systems.

He also confirmed daily operations conducted on Kibo and the procedure of hardware maintenance he would service during his mission. Yui also underwent robotic arm (Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System: JEMRMS) manipulation training and simulated the relocation of an exposed facility payload via the simulator. Yui also simulated Kibo’s airlock operations alongside the JAXA Flight Control Team (JFCT), which strengthened their teamwork. Training for the experiments to be performed on Kibo included onboard operations installed in the payload racks and handling of each chamber containing experimental samples.

Training for KOUNOTORI included onboard crew tasks as well as the mission flow and response to contingency cases.

As this was the last opportunity for Yui to visit Japan before the start of his 44/45 Expedition mission, Yui, JFCT, and experiment staff finalized their adjustment. On January 5, a press conference was held at the JAXA Tokyo office to discuss Yui’s ISS mission where he expressed his aspirations for the mission to the media.

Having completed training in Japan, Yui moved to the U.S. in mid-January and trained at the NASA JSC.

At the JSC, Yui and his Expedition 44 crewmates confirmed procedures in the event of an emergency such as fire, etc. in the ISS mockup (a full-scale training facility). As part of medical training, cardiopulmonary resuscitation was executed using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). In addition, Yui underwent a series of training covering the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) manipulation for a visiting vehicle, repair of toilet failure, and support of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) preparation.

Astronaut Takuya Onishi undergoes training for a long-duration ISS mission in the U.S. and Russia

Astronaut Takuya Onishi, a crew member for the ISS Expedition 48/49 mission, underwent training at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in early January, followed in the latter half of the month by training at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC).

At the JSC, most of the training was held for EVA. Onishi donned a submersible Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) and dived into a large pool containing a submerged full-scale ISS mockup to practice procedure to replace the Thermal Control System (TCS) pump.

At the GCTC, training was held for the Soyuz spacecraft and the ISS Russian segment. For the Soyuz spacecraft operations, Onishi repeated simulation with Russian Cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin, Soyuz Commander of Soyuz TMA-21M (47S). Using a simulator, they enhanced the safety of flight techniques by rehearsing operations for each phase of the flight, as represented by approaching and docking to the ISS and atmospheric re-entry, which included simultaneously responding to hardware failures and emergencies during the simulation.

Onishi attends pre-training for the upcoming winter survival training. (Credit: JAXA/GCTC)

In addition to the above training, he also prepared for winter survival training beginning in February. This training is intended to help participants learn survival skills in the event that the Soyuz spacecraft is forced to make an emergency landing. Onishi and other participants confirmed how to change from Sokol spacesuits to snowsuits in the Soyuz spacecraft and set up a shelter using the spacecraft’s parachute.

Besides, Onishi had a plaster cast taken to create his own personal seat liner for the Soyuz spacecraft.