The reasons why an astronaut need to learn about Russian language

News24xx.com - The head of Russian language training at Yelena Kirilenko's Cosmonaut Training Center explained to RBTH why foreign astronauts who joined the flight mission to the International Space Station had to learn Russian language and explain how the space mission bearers communicate with each other as they slide into orbit.

RBTH (R): Why do astronauts need to learn Russian? Can't everyone speak English?

Yelena Kirilenko (YK): The language used on the International Space Station is English, but all crews are currently sent to stations using Russian planes (since the end of the Space Shuttle program, Soyuz became the only spacecraft used to transport astronauts to orbit -red.). Each team consists of three people: one Russian, one American (who sits on the left seat of Soyuz while sliding into orbit), and another crew member, such as space tourists (who sit on the right bench). The Soyuz commander was always a Russian, while foreign astronauts became commanders at the International Space Station.

The astronomer sitting in the left seat was the commander's right hand and he had to replicate all operations carried out by the commander at launch, from the launching process to linking the docking to the International Space Station. Astronauts in the left seat had to communicate in Russian for six hours, because the Mission Control Center gave command in Russian, and the translator had no time to translate it.

R: Are foreign astronauts, especially American astronauts, able to speak Russian when they come to Star City to prepare flights to the International Space Station?

Y.K: American astronauts came to us after being assigned and have gone through the ACTFL test (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages), an American system that requires astronauts to speak Russian at least at the Intermediate High level.

Upon arriving at Star City, astronauts not only learn Russian, but also special languages, namely "astronaut language". For astronauts on the left bench who become flight technicians, they must learn Russian four hours a week. For astronauts on the right bench, they must learn Russian two hours per week.

R: Can you give an example of the Russian language as what astronauts learn?

Y.K: Soyuz has a control and navigation system, and the astronauts on the left side must practice to get closer and hook the plane to the International Space Station. Soyuz has manual procedures and manual modes. If it's wrong, you fail to docking.

In addition, instructors and crew constantly convey what they do in Russian during the docking and re-docking process. The instructor gave the command, and the crew delivered what they had done.

R: What is the command given by the instructor during training and command from the Mission Control Center when the actual docking is in orbit?

Y.K .: "Slow down," "accelerate," "enter this or that mode," "cancel the speed," "give a signal," "check current consumption," "brake," "do the brakes". Russian textbooks for flight technicians consist of about one hundred pages.

R: How often problems arise due to misunderstandings related to language?

Y.K: We have never experienced such a case, because astronauts must already have a language level that is high enough when performing missions. Previously, there were translators who helped in theory and training classes. Now communication in the simulator is entirely in Russian. Therefore astronauts, whether from America, Japan or Europe, often answer in Russian during the exam.

R: And what level of language is needed for space tourists?

Y.K .: This is a social sphere, specifically the basic level of knowledge of Russian language and the ability to do minimal communication. They only trained for six months and got about 250 hours of Russian language lessons. For special terms, we first introduce simple words like "off-fire", "press". The combination of words like "check tightness", "balance pressure", "hold grip", was introduced in the first two months of practice.

 

 

 

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