The Cosmonaut Training Center allowed students to participate in testing for the first time

For the first time, students and postgraduates were allowed to take part in tests for the title of "cosmonaut candidate" at the Cosmonaut Training Center

The first introductory face-to-face selection of candidates for cosmonauts, in which Moscow students and postgraduates participate, is taking place at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

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As reported by the press service of the Cosmonaut Training Center, 8 students from the Moscow Aviation Institute decided to try their hand. The program of the introductory project is similar to that according to which the open selection of candidates for the cosmonaut corps takes place, and includes three areas. These are an assessment of the level of physical fitness, professional suitability, and psychological testing.

When assessing the level of physical fitness by the specialists of the Cosmonaut Training Center, all the participants in the selection performed 7 identical exercises. These were the Romberg test to check vestibular stability, a trampoline exercise for agility, forward and downward bends for flexibility, pull-ups on a horizontal bar, a long jump, a 1000-meter run, and a hand bicycle ergometry test, which reveals the ability to withstand on-board physical training.

This is how manual bicycle ergometry was performed. Photo courtesy of the CPC

The professional selection was carried out as follows: all participants in the competition were given training manuals on the onboard system in the amount of 50 sheets of A4 format. The next day, everyone had to give a 20-minute report with information on why this onboard system is needed and how it works.

By the end of the week (the competition runs until June 27), students will also have to test their ability to operate. They must demonstrate knowledge and skills in working with specialized scientific equipment, the ability to follow step-by-step instructions, and conduct a professional report on their work.

At the end of each selection stage, students receive a score from specialists, the sum of which will ultimately form a rating of the participants. The finalists will be given certificates of passing the preliminary selection for candidates for the cosmonaut corps.