Training Tim for Astro Academy

Tim Peake has now been fully trained on the Astro Academy.

On October 15 2015, Anu Ohja, Director of the National Space Academy, and Andy McMurray, Head of Teaching and Learning, travelled out to the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) to train and brief UK European Space Agency Astronaut Tim Peake on the Astro Academy.    

The EAC, which is located near Cologne, is the European centre of excellence for astronaut selection. It includes training, medical support and surveillance, as well as support of astronauts and their families during preparation for and during flight.

Working alongside the EAC trainers, Anu and Andy took Tim through a briefing about the aims and objectives of the Astro Academy: Principia mission. Anu then worked with Tim within the Columbus module mock-up, training him on the experiments and discussing with Tim how to get the best possible video results.

Tim's experience of the Columbus module proved invaluable and his suggestions have been reflected in the final mission procedures.

With the experiment kit now safely on-board the ISS,  the procedures written and certified; and Tim fully trained and briefed, the Astro Academy Principia mission is ready to go for Tim's launch in December.