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Solving Space: Astronaut Training Facility

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Becoming an Astronaut Candidate, and graduating from the program involves rigorous training and testing. Since 1980, every NASA astronaut has walked the floors of the Astronaut Training Facility at NASA Johnson Space Center. Solve Space by unscrambling this image, and learn more about astronaut training and how you can experience it at Space Center Houston!

Learn More About It

  • Astronaut Candidates and are assigned to the Astronaut Office at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The Astronaut Candidates undergo a training and evaluation period lasting approximately 2 years. During this time they will participate in the basic Astronaut Candidate training program, which is designated to develop the knowledge and skills required for formal mission training upon selection for a flight.
  • As part of the Astronaut Candidate training program, candidates are required to complete military water survival before beginning their flying syllabus, and become SCUBA qualified to prepare them for spacewalk training.
  • Real-time mission support training happens at the Astronaut Training Facility.
  • A major task of the Astronaut Training Facility is to support Engineering and Mission Operations evaluations for the International Space Station (ISS) and Orion Programs.
  • It provides world class training for space flight crews and their support personnel and high-fidelity hardware for real-time mission support.
  • The Astronaut Training Facility consists of ISS, Orion, Commercial vehicle mockups, part-task trainers and rack interfaces, a Precision Air Bearing Floor, and a Partial Gravity Simulator.
  • The ISS mockups include the U.S. Lab, Nodes, Permanent Multipurpose Module, Joint Airlock, medium-fidelity mockups of the Russian Service Module, SOYUZ, FGB, and several other ISS International Partner modules.
  • Final selection means Astronaut Candidates successfully completed: International Space Station systems training, Extravehicular Activity skills training, Robotics skills training, Russian Language training, and aircraft flight readiness training.


Experience More

  • Find out more about the Astronaut Training Facility.
  • Take our NASA Tram Tour and see where astronauts train in the Astronaut Training Facility at NASA Johnson Space Center!
  • Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut? Check out Space Center U! Space Center U is a challenging multi-day program offered year-round to individuals and groups. The program promotes teamwork, problem solving, communication and engineering solutions to space related situations.
  • Join one of our Astronaut Experiences! See what is NEW in June at our Breakfast with an Astronaut!

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