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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 22
“Launch minus 1 day and counting…?”
Well, in just a few days, I should get my first real taste of life in outer space.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 21
“It’s a Wonderful Life…!”
So, what will life onboard the ISS be like? Well, just like you, I can only imagine at this point.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 20
"And They Said it Couldn't be Done…!"
I am now a proud member of not one, not two, but three different crews!
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 19
“Zoom and Boom!”
It was November 4, 1998, and I had arrived at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, for my very first flight in the T-38 training jet.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 18
“The Clothes Make the Man…!”
Well, on a recent trip to Star City, Russia, it was time for me to try on some of my spacesuits...Russian style!
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 17
“Cold Weather and Broccholesterol 200!”
A long time ago, in a place far, far away (Chapter 2) I wrote about winter survival training in Russia.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 16
“Lab Rat and Astronaut!”
I was recently fitted for a fine new suit.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 15
“Soybeans - they’re not just for breakfast anymore!”
An excellent protein source, soybeans are already being used in foods consumed on the space station.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 14
“Patience is a (difficult) virtue...!”
One of the difficulties with an astronaut training flow is the “upset” by delays such as caused by the ET foam shedding that the training teams must grapple with.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 13
“Hey, what’s for dinner?”
From mashed potatoes with onions to bream with baltika sauce to coffee with cream and sugar, we tried it all. Most of it was quite tasty, but there were a few things that I don’t think I could handle on orbit.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 12
"It's getting a bit warm in here!"
Now, I have been in a sauna before, but not like this one. First we donned hats reminiscent of an old Robin Hood movie. Second, we put on our slippers and grabbed a seating mat.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 11
"Let’s go for a walk, shall we …?"
Our spacesuit is called an EMU or extra-vehicular mobility unit … whew! Their suit is designated the Orlan-M.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 10
"It's the Family Life for me!"
Over the past 13 months or so of training for my initial flight into space, I have often remarked to folks about the challenges of dealing with the separation from my family.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 9
"Behind every good man, …!"
During this session I was, understandably, focused on family. With Mike’s return to Earth to the open arms of his wife, son and brand new daughter (they were waiting for him here in Russia!), my thoughts were turned to my family back in Houston.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 8
"Run for your life…!"
As an astronaut and a former college athlete, I try very hard to stay in decent shape. Not so much as a requirement for the astronaut job mind you, but for peace of mind regarding my health given my family history.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 7
"It's a small world after all…"
Our adventure began on an overnight train from downtown Moscow and took us to one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 6
"Excuse me, but is this seat taken?"
Today, here in Star City, Russia, I had one of those special days ... Today, I was fitted for my seat on the Russian Soyuz TMA spacecraft!
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 5
'After Further Examination …'
Each four-week session of training in Star City includes a multitude of theoretical classes. These classes are designed to provide us (the crew) a working knowledge of the myriad of systems operating onboard the Russian segment of the ISS.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 4
'See Spot Run …'
The Russian alphabet and its Cyrillic characters further complicate the learning process by the simple fact that much of what you learned as a child to help you master English has to be “unlearned” for you to master Russian!
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 3
'If I Can Just Get My ARM Around This …'
The Station’s robotic arm is similar to the arm we have used many times on the Space Shuttle (also provided by CSA). However, the station version has additional capability and is incredibly more complex.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 2
'Survival of the fittest …'
Whew, it’s over … two days of winter survival training in Russia! Whoa! The second night’s temperature was -27 degrees Celsius (yes, that’s below zero!). The approximate conversion is about -18 degrees Fahrenheit!
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| | ISS Training Journals: Chapter 1
'A journey begins with the very first step …'
This is not my first trip to Star City, Russia. As the Expedition 4 (E4) crew’s “Crew Support Astronaut,” I was able to visit Star City twice in support of Yuri Onufrienko, Carl Walz and Dan Bursch.
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| | ISS Training Journals: Prologue
'The Adventure Begins'
In December of 2003, I received word from the head of the Astronaut Office, Kent Rominger, that I was being considered for placement into the International Space Station (ISS) training flow for future consideration as a possible crewmember.
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