Before being allowed into the vacuum chamber for a vacuum test, and certainly before any further spacewalk training under water, Alexander Gerst and Samantha Cristoforetti had to show proficiency in operating all Orlan controls in the pressurized suit and in performing all pre-EVA and post-EVA airlock operations in this dedicated training facility at the Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City. The facility offers a perfect replica of all airlock valves and control panels, as well as the airlock hatch. It also includes a special weightlessness simulation trick. Once we enter the Orlan, the suits are suspended and the weight is counterbalanced: this way, by pushing against a fixed structure with relatively little effort we can move the roughly 200 kg of combined body and suit weight. It’s a very realistic training that builds skills and confidence!