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KidStation - Marc's Training
What would you do if you were told you were going to be in an action movie, only it weren’t a movie but real life?! There may have been times when Marc felt out of his element during astronaut training, but he learned a lot very fast!
The Basics
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Okay, this might not be regular stuff for you or me, but this is basic, routine stuff for all astronauts. Imagine having to&133; |
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fly a plane AND jump out of it! |
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learn about radio communications |
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develop your skills in public relations |
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go back to school and take tests to study geology, oceanography, astronomy, photography, Earth observation, life support in microgravity, and much more! |
The Not-So-Basics
Marc was a star in all of his classes, so he got the opportunity to be a Flight Engineer and Mission Specialist for Mission STS-97. That meant more training!
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EVA (Extravehicular Activities) Training |
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Marc has been training in NASA’s huge water tank called the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, or NBL. Moving in water simulates the feeling of moving in outer space!
Even though Marc plans on staying "indoors" for the mission, he may have to go for a space walk (also known as EVA or extravehicular activity). |
Marc is the backup person for the EVA crew. They’re the ones who will have to leave the shelter of Endeavour to bolt down solar panels to the International Space Station.
If either of the EVA crew members needs assistance, Marc will step in—or rather, step out into space!
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Canadarm Operation Training |
Did you know that Marc has a bionic ARM? Okay, it’s not actually his, but he gets to use it. It’s called the Canadarm and he’ll be using it transfer the huge solar panels from Endeavour to the International Space Station (ISS).
One of the other Canadian technologies he’ll be using is the Canadian Space Vision System. It’s a cool tool that helps him guide the Canadarm. It tells him the exact location, orientation, and movements of the objects he’s moving in space.
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Flight Engineer Training |
Marc will be everybody’s best friend on this mission. They’re going to rely on him for support and back-up. As Flight Engineer, he will support the Shuttle Commander and Pilot in the cockpit by watching for any abnormalities in the shuttle systems as Endeavour reaches orbit.
If something goes wrong, he has to think fast and troubleshoot any problems which could potentially be life-threatening.
Want To Know More?
You still want more information about astronaut training? Suit up and let’s go!
Just take off !
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