Our Astronauts are Back on…. Water

The survival training of four astronaut candidates selected for the Hunor programme – Gyula Cserényi, Tibor Kapu, Ádám Schlégl and András Szakály – ended with the retrieval from the river Tisza at the end of July near the town of Szolnok.

After the one-week onshore part – during which the astronaut candidates gained skills in fire starting, shelter building, water and food procurement, among others – the three-day water training took place at the 86th MH Kiss József Helicopter Brigade.

After classroom sessions in which the candidates learnt the theory of entering water, how to move in water and how to correctly perform the tasks required during a rescue, as well as the use of rescue equipment, i.e. life jackets and boats, they first gained practical experience in swimming pool conditions. As well as assessing their water and swimming safety, they also tested the concentration of the astronaut candidates. The exercises included learning how to navigate underwater and practicing what is known as relaxation swimming. They had to demonstrate what they had learned during the final exercise in the Tisza, a live-water rescue exercise.

Gábor Magyari, Head of Flight Operations and Training of the Hungarian Astronaut Program, stressed the importance of the training: astronauts return from their mission on water, so the practice of water rescue is extremely important for astronaut candidates. “We are extremely grateful and proud that the Hungarian Defense Forces gave us the opportunity to do this,” he added.

Dr. Klaudia Vivien Nagy, a space doctor and head of the Hunor program’s medical team, was also on board the Mi-17 helicopter at the time of the rescue. She said that astronauts are exposed to extremely high physical and health risks during space travel, including operations such as the rescue from the ocean on re-entry. “As medical colleagues, it is also important that we have as much experience as possible of how these operations are carried out in practice. We are grateful to the Hungarian Defense Forces that we were able to participate and practice what we will have to do in the real world,” stressed Dr Klaudia Vivien Nagy.

The successful final exercise also marked the end of the week and a half of survival training for the astronaut candidates, part of their multi-year preparation.

Featured Photos: Szováthy Kinga, Honvedelem.hu