Interview with cosmonaut Alexander Laveykin about space cinema, overload in 20 units and soft landing
On the eve of the Day of Cosmonautics we want to share with you an interview with cosmonaut Alexander Laveykin. He made a space flight in 1987, he worked for six months at the Mir space station as a flight engineer. Fulfilled three spacewalks with a total duration of 8 hours and 48 minutes.
Honestly, the material is not new - Alexander Laveikin gave a lecture and answered questions from the participants of the ASCON Partnership Conference in 2016. But after re-reading the answers, we realized that his impressions of the flight did not lose their relevance.
So, Pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR, Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Laveykin tells about the work of cosmonauts, modern science fiction films and Americans on the moon.
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Photo: TASS
When can ordinary people as a tourist fly into space and look at the stars?
When they start earning $ 30 million. Now a private American company offers cheaper suborbital flights. Well, the times when the “ticket” to space will cost as a trip in a tram will not come very soon.
What can be compared with physical overload at the start and at landing?
During the start, the maximum overload reaches three units, and it is different when the first, second and third stages work. When the first stage is working, it is quite small, since the exit process is rather long. When you work the second stage you feel the vibration, it seems that you are riding a cart on a cobblestone. This is due to the fact that the control system is located in the upper part of the rocket, and the executive bodies are located in the lower part, and while the signal comes from the gyros to the steering gears, there is a slight delay, hence the vibration. The third stage is one or two units, there is nothing terrible here.
Now about landing. If the landing is regular, the descent to the landing ground runs along a controlled flat trajectory, then the maximum overload on the braking section in dense layers reaches five units. But considering that a man spent six months in space (and some of our guys were more than a year old), then it is, of course, hard to perceive. The first “meeting” with weight after half a year in weightlessness, and even with an overload, is perceived as 7-8 units.
The brightest overload is the so-called soft landing. This is a very significant impact on the ground, despite the fact that the engines of a soft landing, shock absorbers of Kazbek chairs are working. Therefore, a soft landing is called "hard blow to a soft spot." 5 seconds before touching the ground, the warning “Landing” lights up. At this point, all astronauts should strain their muscles and stop talking, grit their teeth, so as not to bite off their tongues. Blow, spray from eyes - and you on Earth! This is a full-time landing. If a fall occurs, the ballistic descent - and they have recently, unfortunately, become more frequent due to the failure of the descent control unit - then the overload can reach up to 20 units for a short time. Our guys have already experienced these overloads.
View of the Earth from the ISS. Expedition ISS 32/33
Photo: Roscosmos
What usually feel in the first minutes after landing?
Feeling so so. The station has exercise equipment for exercise. The treadmill, to which we are fastened with shock absorbers and run for an hour. Ergometer, which you twist with your feet for half an hour and with your hands for half an hour. All this two hours a day, every day! So when the astronaut descends the ladder, it is immediately clear whether he sank or not. If he goes whistling, it means that he trained every day. If they lead under the arms, the head dangles, which means I missed. When the astronauts arrive from the ISS, they are immediately brought to Star City - for rehabilitation in a dispensary.
Expedition 34/35. Roman Romanenko. Classes on the power simulator.
Photo: Roscosmos
A touchdown can also occur abnormally: depressurization, fire, and such that one will have to leave the station. You can be in a remote area, where no one will help. In 2003, our cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin and two Americans returning after a long flight to Earth, the descent control unit failed, the overload reached 20 units. Upon landing, they deviated from the planned landing area at 500 km. They were looking for a long time, could not find them (after which all crews began to give out mobile phones). Only through persistent training, Nikolai Budarin was able to get out of the ship himself, helped the Americans, who felt bad, organized rescue, set up a radio station. After 4-5 hours they found the plane.
Yury Romanenko and I did a lot of work, so only the first half hour after landing we felt unwell, all kinds of vestibular disorders. But by the evening I walked with my feet, swimming in the pool. Objectively, weightlessness causes serious damage to our cells, they change their structure during a long flight. After the flight, the cells must come to their normal shape - and this lasts about the same as the flight itself.
It is believed that the Americans were not on the moon. And what do you think?
There is no doubt that the Americans were on the moon. Especially for their flight in Evpatoria, a radio telescope was installed, and we received the same telemetry as they did. All their brake impulses, all negotiations and movements we observed. And not only we - Brazil, Australia, too. This objective information, it is stored, it can be checked. We talked a lot with the astronauts who were there. Often we meet with them. What are the "burned" Americans? Photos and film materials, especially after the first flight, were not very good quality. And for the beauty of the moment they decided to finish something in the hangar ... And they got caught. Hence the rumor that the Americans were not on the moon.
How are the shares of civil and military load distributed in the work of an astronaut in orbit?
There is no military load on the International Space Station. As for unmanned flights, then there is approximately 50/50. The main component is the military one, both with our satellites and the American ones. There are low-altitude and high-altitude satellites in stationary orbit. They perform their task clearly. Civilian space is television satellites, repeaters, navigation GPS and GLONASS.
How do you feel about modern science fiction films about space?
Do you mean "Gravity"? The films are very beautiful, the actors are beautiful. But from a technical point of view - this is all nonsense, designed for people who do not understand the technique. Although today sometimes an ordinary smartphone can be at the level of a spacecraft control panel. I recommend watching the wonderful Apollo 13 movie starring Tom Hanks. We believe that this is an unsurpassed film about spaceflight. Why did he do this? Firstly, because it is based on real events that occurred with the ship. Secondly, NASA experts took part in the shooting. The film is true, beautiful, interesting.
the movie "Apollo-13", 1995
There is another film - “Armageddon” with Bruce Willis. He, of course, funny, original, but it clearly shows the problem that can be expected of our planet in the future. Earth enters the asteroid field again, collisions with asteroids are possible. If the average size of the earth moves in the direction of the Earth (100 square meters is enough), the damage to our civilization is possible, and then such an expedition to the surface of the asteroid is not excluded. The Americans have already begun an asteroid flight preparation program. First, the training landing, and then, if necessary, and combat. The principle is the same: either to destroy an asteroid with a nuclear charge, or to change the direction of its movement.
What are the working days in orbit?
In the evening we receive a radiogram, in which the whole program is written the next day, what experiments need to be done. They need to prepare, find the right devices. Since there are a lot of cargo ships arriving, we all pack up in bags, sign it in handles. Bags hung throughout the station.
On television they show that everything is beautiful, around the order, the guys in suits make a report. In fact, behind the camera are solid bags and boxes. Crews spend the entire flight in shorts and T-shirts, as the station is very hot. Suits put on before shooting, then quickly removed. To prepare for the next day on the 20th form, you need to find all the devices. We used to search for one device the whole night in order not to disrupt the program the next day.
And the program is like that. In the morning, Moscow time at 8 o'clock, hygiene procedures, breakfast, two hours of work, then training - one on the cycle ergometer, the second on the track. After we put ourselves in order (we didn’t have a shower, wiped ourselves with wet towels). Then lunch, work again, evening workout, dinner and free time. We either looked for what was needed the next day, or did nothing.
Cosmonauts Alexander Alexandrov, Yuri Romanenko, Alexander Laveikin and Mohammed Faris with styling for biological experiments aboard the Mir orbital complex
Photo: Museum of Cosmonautics
Do nothing - just the worst condition in a long flight, immediately causes depression. A person is in a closed space for a long time, and even together. Despite the fact that psychologists are preparing us for the flight, pick up the crew members, we have to get used to each other in flight.
Viktor Astafyev in the story “Tsar-Ryba” writes that when hunters-hunters went into the taiga for a year for sables, then three people left. It ended in a fight and stabbing. Then two people left - again the same. Then they thought of going into the taiga with a dog, because wonderful relationships are built with it. We had no dogs. And no matter how difficult it was, I had to execute the program. Yura Romanenko and I are one of the few who remained friends after the flight, because we learned to behave correctly.
An even harder time is a weekend in flight, because there is little work. Movies all revised, there were books, guitar. Yura learned to play on it and composed songs. In the songs he managed to convey the psychological state of the astronaut in a long space flight, which could not be done in any scientific medical work. By the way, we had a lot of music. You work and the music sounds all the time. Vysotsky in space does not go because of their hard songs. And Wizbor is fine. About tents, kayaks, love - about what is not in space. This is always a pleasure to listen to.
The crew of the Soyuz TM-2 spacecraft: flight engineer Alexander Laveykin and the ship's commander Yury Romanenko
Honestly, the material is not new - Alexander Laveikin gave a lecture and answered questions from the participants of the ASCON Partnership Conference in 2016. But after re-reading the answers, we realized that his impressions of the flight did not lose their relevance.
So, Pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR, Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Laveykin tells about the work of cosmonauts, modern science fiction films and Americans on the moon.
')
Photo: TASS
When can ordinary people as a tourist fly into space and look at the stars?
When they start earning $ 30 million. Now a private American company offers cheaper suborbital flights. Well, the times when the “ticket” to space will cost as a trip in a tram will not come very soon.
What can be compared with physical overload at the start and at landing?
During the start, the maximum overload reaches three units, and it is different when the first, second and third stages work. When the first stage is working, it is quite small, since the exit process is rather long. When you work the second stage you feel the vibration, it seems that you are riding a cart on a cobblestone. This is due to the fact that the control system is located in the upper part of the rocket, and the executive bodies are located in the lower part, and while the signal comes from the gyros to the steering gears, there is a slight delay, hence the vibration. The third stage is one or two units, there is nothing terrible here.
Now about landing. If the landing is regular, the descent to the landing ground runs along a controlled flat trajectory, then the maximum overload on the braking section in dense layers reaches five units. But considering that a man spent six months in space (and some of our guys were more than a year old), then it is, of course, hard to perceive. The first “meeting” with weight after half a year in weightlessness, and even with an overload, is perceived as 7-8 units.
The brightest overload is the so-called soft landing. This is a very significant impact on the ground, despite the fact that the engines of a soft landing, shock absorbers of Kazbek chairs are working. Therefore, a soft landing is called "hard blow to a soft spot." 5 seconds before touching the ground, the warning “Landing” lights up. At this point, all astronauts should strain their muscles and stop talking, grit their teeth, so as not to bite off their tongues. Blow, spray from eyes - and you on Earth! This is a full-time landing. If a fall occurs, the ballistic descent - and they have recently, unfortunately, become more frequent due to the failure of the descent control unit - then the overload can reach up to 20 units for a short time. Our guys have already experienced these overloads.
View of the Earth from the ISS. Expedition ISS 32/33
Photo: Roscosmos
What usually feel in the first minutes after landing?
Feeling so so. The station has exercise equipment for exercise. The treadmill, to which we are fastened with shock absorbers and run for an hour. Ergometer, which you twist with your feet for half an hour and with your hands for half an hour. All this two hours a day, every day! So when the astronaut descends the ladder, it is immediately clear whether he sank or not. If he goes whistling, it means that he trained every day. If they lead under the arms, the head dangles, which means I missed. When the astronauts arrive from the ISS, they are immediately brought to Star City - for rehabilitation in a dispensary.
Expedition 34/35. Roman Romanenko. Classes on the power simulator.
Photo: Roscosmos
A touchdown can also occur abnormally: depressurization, fire, and such that one will have to leave the station. You can be in a remote area, where no one will help. In 2003, our cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin and two Americans returning after a long flight to Earth, the descent control unit failed, the overload reached 20 units. Upon landing, they deviated from the planned landing area at 500 km. They were looking for a long time, could not find them (after which all crews began to give out mobile phones). Only through persistent training, Nikolai Budarin was able to get out of the ship himself, helped the Americans, who felt bad, organized rescue, set up a radio station. After 4-5 hours they found the plane.
Yury Romanenko and I did a lot of work, so only the first half hour after landing we felt unwell, all kinds of vestibular disorders. But by the evening I walked with my feet, swimming in the pool. Objectively, weightlessness causes serious damage to our cells, they change their structure during a long flight. After the flight, the cells must come to their normal shape - and this lasts about the same as the flight itself.
It is believed that the Americans were not on the moon. And what do you think?
There is no doubt that the Americans were on the moon. Especially for their flight in Evpatoria, a radio telescope was installed, and we received the same telemetry as they did. All their brake impulses, all negotiations and movements we observed. And not only we - Brazil, Australia, too. This objective information, it is stored, it can be checked. We talked a lot with the astronauts who were there. Often we meet with them. What are the "burned" Americans? Photos and film materials, especially after the first flight, were not very good quality. And for the beauty of the moment they decided to finish something in the hangar ... And they got caught. Hence the rumor that the Americans were not on the moon.
How are the shares of civil and military load distributed in the work of an astronaut in orbit?
There is no military load on the International Space Station. As for unmanned flights, then there is approximately 50/50. The main component is the military one, both with our satellites and the American ones. There are low-altitude and high-altitude satellites in stationary orbit. They perform their task clearly. Civilian space is television satellites, repeaters, navigation GPS and GLONASS.
How do you feel about modern science fiction films about space?
Do you mean "Gravity"? The films are very beautiful, the actors are beautiful. But from a technical point of view - this is all nonsense, designed for people who do not understand the technique. Although today sometimes an ordinary smartphone can be at the level of a spacecraft control panel. I recommend watching the wonderful Apollo 13 movie starring Tom Hanks. We believe that this is an unsurpassed film about spaceflight. Why did he do this? Firstly, because it is based on real events that occurred with the ship. Secondly, NASA experts took part in the shooting. The film is true, beautiful, interesting.
the movie "Apollo-13", 1995
There is another film - “Armageddon” with Bruce Willis. He, of course, funny, original, but it clearly shows the problem that can be expected of our planet in the future. Earth enters the asteroid field again, collisions with asteroids are possible. If the average size of the earth moves in the direction of the Earth (100 square meters is enough), the damage to our civilization is possible, and then such an expedition to the surface of the asteroid is not excluded. The Americans have already begun an asteroid flight preparation program. First, the training landing, and then, if necessary, and combat. The principle is the same: either to destroy an asteroid with a nuclear charge, or to change the direction of its movement.
What are the working days in orbit?
In the evening we receive a radiogram, in which the whole program is written the next day, what experiments need to be done. They need to prepare, find the right devices. Since there are a lot of cargo ships arriving, we all pack up in bags, sign it in handles. Bags hung throughout the station.
On television they show that everything is beautiful, around the order, the guys in suits make a report. In fact, behind the camera are solid bags and boxes. Crews spend the entire flight in shorts and T-shirts, as the station is very hot. Suits put on before shooting, then quickly removed. To prepare for the next day on the 20th form, you need to find all the devices. We used to search for one device the whole night in order not to disrupt the program the next day.
And the program is like that. In the morning, Moscow time at 8 o'clock, hygiene procedures, breakfast, two hours of work, then training - one on the cycle ergometer, the second on the track. After we put ourselves in order (we didn’t have a shower, wiped ourselves with wet towels). Then lunch, work again, evening workout, dinner and free time. We either looked for what was needed the next day, or did nothing.
Cosmonauts Alexander Alexandrov, Yuri Romanenko, Alexander Laveikin and Mohammed Faris with styling for biological experiments aboard the Mir orbital complex
Photo: Museum of Cosmonautics
Do nothing - just the worst condition in a long flight, immediately causes depression. A person is in a closed space for a long time, and even together. Despite the fact that psychologists are preparing us for the flight, pick up the crew members, we have to get used to each other in flight.
Viktor Astafyev in the story “Tsar-Ryba” writes that when hunters-hunters went into the taiga for a year for sables, then three people left. It ended in a fight and stabbing. Then two people left - again the same. Then they thought of going into the taiga with a dog, because wonderful relationships are built with it. We had no dogs. And no matter how difficult it was, I had to execute the program. Yura Romanenko and I are one of the few who remained friends after the flight, because we learned to behave correctly.
An even harder time is a weekend in flight, because there is little work. Movies all revised, there were books, guitar. Yura learned to play on it and composed songs. In the songs he managed to convey the psychological state of the astronaut in a long space flight, which could not be done in any scientific medical work. By the way, we had a lot of music. You work and the music sounds all the time. Vysotsky in space does not go because of their hard songs. And Wizbor is fine. About tents, kayaks, love - about what is not in space. This is always a pleasure to listen to.
The crew of the Soyuz TM-2 spacecraft: flight engineer Alexander Laveykin and the ship's commander Yury Romanenko
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/447568/
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