Cosmonaut Platonov told about the exam before the flight to the ISS

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov on Thursday, June 5, told Izvestia how the exam takes place before the flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

"It's too early to talk about space, I think, as long as the rocket hasn't taken off, you're not going anywhere yet. Of course, I have expectations, because I've had a long preparation period, and of course I really want to get on the launch as soon as possible, get on the rocket, and so that it soars into the sky to the space station, and start working productively on the ISS," Platonov said.

Platonov will go into orbit on July 29 aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of a cross-border program between Russia and the United States. To be allowed to fly, he must pass an eight-hour practical exam, during which emergency situations on the Russian segment of the ISS are simulated. The cosmonaut independently copes with emergency conditions, including loss of communication and failures in life support systems.

Platonov will have to spend eight months in orbit. During the mission, he will be engaged in scientific research in the fields of medicine, chemistry and biotechnology. He will be accompanied on the flight by two astronauts from the United States and one from Japan. According to Platonov, their admission procedure takes place in a different format, but includes the same scenarios — fire, depressurization and leakage.

The exam is conducted in an exact copy of the Russian ISS module. The astronaut's actions are monitored by the examination board, while no hints are allowed.

"We don't prompt him, we only monitor his actions," said Mikhail Anatsky, head of the training laboratory.

According to him, there were no cases of exam failure in his practice.

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How long will it take astronauts to reach orbit in the future?

The head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov, said on June 3 that the promising Russian Orbital Station (ROS) could become a platform for the development of space tourism when it finally replaces the ISS. According to the general schedule, ROS will be deployed in circumpolar orbit from 2027 to 2033. Work is currently underway to create a new station.