We have been training for various emergency scenarios for the last three months. The training is starting to accelerate, there will be more and more of it, right up to the mission itself – said Sławosz Uznański in an interview with TVN24 BiS. The Pole will fly to the International Space Station next year.
Polish scientist Dr. Sławosz Uznański is preparing to fly into orbit. A mission to the International Space Station is scheduled for 2025. For the last three months he was in Houston, where one of the stages of training on the way to the ISS was underway. Now he is back at the European Astronaut Center in Cologne, Germany. TVN24 BiS journalist Hubert Kijek observes the Polish astronaut's training.
– This building is a bit of my home, because this is where I started training last September – said Uznański. – This week we went through the entire scope of training on the European Columbus module, which is on the International Space Station. We had theoretical tasks, and on Friday we were certified as users of this laboratory – he described.
“We trained emergency scenarios”
As Uznański said, in the American city from August to October, “we trained primarily in various emergency scenarios.” – That is, how to deal with a fire, what to do in the event of an air leak, what to do in the event of an ammonia leak from the cooling system and how to rescue yourself from the space station – he explained.
After Cologne, there will be time for training in Japan. – There we will learn about the systems of the Japanese module called Kibō – said Uznański.
Uznański: training is starting to accelerate
The mission commander of the AX-4 mission will be American astronaut Peggy Withson, the first woman to command the ISS and the record holder among women for the longest total time spent in space.
– She was the generation of astronauts who built the International Space Station. She has incredible experience and it is a great pleasure to work with Peggy Withson. He brings us together as a crew, he gives us his knowledge and at the same time we train together – he said.
The crew will also include mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and mission specialist Tibor Kapu from Hungarian.
An interview with Sławosz Uznański, a Pole who will fly into spaceTVN24 BiS
As Uznański said, “the training is starting to accelerate, there will be more and more of it, more and more detailed, right down to the mission itself.” – I feel very proud and excited. I can't wait to start, he admitted.
Main photo source: TVN24 BiS