JAXA Astronaut Activity Report, March 2005

<< February | April>>

This is JAXA's Japanese astronaut primary activity report for March 2005.

Astronaut Wakata's Return to Flight Activities

Astronaut Wakata operating the Canadarm2 using a simulator.

Astronaut Wakata has been taking part in the development of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) as a representative of the Astronaut Office and by providing feedback from an astronaut's perspective.

The simulator training facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) has a System Engineering Simulator (SES), which simulates the console for the Canadarm2, which is the remote manipulator system for the ISS. The operational procedures and the clearance of the ISS and the shuttle when Canadarm2 will be used to stow the OBSS were verified using the SES.

Columbus Training at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC)

Astronaut Wakata training for operation procedures

Training with the simulator

Astronaut Wakata received training on the Columbus module at the EAC, which is a facility of the European Space Agency (ESA).

The purpose of this training was to learn the basics of the Columbus System. Columbus is an ESA science module that will be assembled as part of the ISS. Astronaut Wakata learned the primary Columbus subsystems, including the Electrical Power System, Data Processing System, and Environmental Control System.

Mission Specialist Candidate Training

Astronauts Furukawa, Hoshide, and Yamazaki continued their Mission Specialist training for the space shuttle in March. Lectures and simulator training were conducted as well as the Tier 3 test. They visited Langley Research Center (LaRC) as part of their on-site training. They also attended a lecture on Solar System Science by Professor James Head of Brown University

Space Shuttle System Training

Tier 3 training is complete, and the focus of their training is now on Tier 4. Tier 4 training emphasizes responding to anomalies or malfunctions. The astronauts wore orange-colored pressure suits and received training for emergency escape procedures and for operation in the vertical trainer.

	The Shuttle Orbiter is perpendicular to the ground while at the launch pad. This position is similar to tilting the nose of an airplane up by 90 degrees. This situation feels a bit strange; for example, the cockpit monitors are located on the ceiling right in front of the astronauts’ eyes. The line of sight is limited by the helmet of the pressure suit, and the range of reach is also very limited. A switch that can be seen may not be reachable. Conversely, some reachable switches may not be within visual range. Each crew member must serve as eyes and hands for the others in order to complete various tasks. This clearly demonstrates the importance of teamwork.

On-site Training at NASA Facilities

Astronauts Furukawa, Hoshide, and Yamazaki visited LaRC. LaRC leads the NASA Initiative in aviation safety, quiet aircraft technology, small aircraft transportation, and aerospace vehicles system technology. It supports the NASA space program with atmospheric research and technology testing and development.

The three JAXA astronauts and their classmates also visited a local elementary school, where they gave a lecture.

<< February | April>>