Soyuz TMA-02M - Crew Training

Crew Training

Our crew is very harmonious, I am confident in my colleagues. The vehicle is in proper status, we are eager about going to space. We wish we could fly around the station, but this task is not in our list, as our mission implies tests of the second Soyuz of TMA-M ‘digital’ series, so we will verify its systems during the mission. I hope the mission will be successful. – Sergey Volkov

The Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center hosted two-day exam sessions for the Soyuz TMA-02M prime and backup crews on 12–13 May 2011. On 12 May, the prime crew passed their integrated training in the ISS simulator while their backups were examined in the Soyuz mockup. The ISS integrated test aims to simulate a working day at the Space Station with instructors introducing few contingencies. On the next day the crews swapped and took the exams.

Soyuz TMA-02M crews arrived at Baikonur on 25 May 2011. After departing from the Chkalovsky airport in Moscow, the plane with the prime crew first landed in Krainy airport at 1 pm local time. Their backups landed 20 minutes later in the next plane. On 26 May 2011, the prime and backup crews began their first training session at Baikonur's Site 254. The prime crew verified cargo accommodation in the Soyuz descent capsule, donned their Sokol space suits; performed leak checks; and tested the helmet communication system. They also trained with the laser range meter, navigator and other systems. The backup crew of Kononenko, Pettit and Kuipers, with the exception of wearing Sokol suits also trained with the Soyuz systems.

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