ESA astronaut reserve member Meganne Christian from the UK during a robotics and virtual reality training session as part of the Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) programme at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany.
In this final ART training block, members of the astronaut reserve get familiar with GRAVI-T, the first building block of International Space Station robotics training within ESA’s astronaut curriculum.
During this session, they delve into generic robotic training and learn how to manipulate the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
Robotic arms on the Station are used to grab and berth cargo vessels such as Japan’s HTV and the Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus. They can also help astronauts during spacewalks by moving an astronaut strapped to the end of the arm to hard-to-reach places on the outside of the International Space Station. Robotic arms can even replace a spacewalk altogether.
Under the supervision of instructors at EAC, the members of the reserve take part in virtual reality (VR) sessions that provide an immersive sense of how large orbital robotic systems operate in microgravity. These VR tools offer a realistic impression of the scale, reach and movement of the 17-metre-long robotic arm’s operations in space.
In addition to VR sessions, trainees use the Dynamic Skills Trainer, a simulator, to practise basic robotic manoeuvres in a controlled environment.
Alongside fellow members of the European astronaut reserve, Meganne is currently participating in the third and final ART training block, gaining the broad technical, operational and scientific foundation required to support future European human spaceflight activities.