Hayley Arceneaux.Photo: Courtesy John Kraus and Inspiration4
As the numbers on the countdown to blast off get smaller, training has been ramping up in pace and intensity. It’s both exciting and challenging.
We recently focused on what to expect around reentry into Earth’s atmosphere and splashdown. A soft-water landing is one of two ways the SpaceX Dragon vehicle lands on Earth and is how our crew will return. We will splashdown off the coast of Florida, with factors such as weather, wave height and wind determining our exact location. Our training included everything from what to expect during atmospheric re-entry to when the parachutes deploy to our soft water landing. And because we are landing in the water, we underwent water survival training and how to exit Dragon safely and quickly if needed.
Inspiration4 crew members Dr. Sian Proctor and Hayley Arceneaux.Courtesy John Kraus and Inspiration4
For our ocean drills, we wore wetsuits and a modified helmet since we can’t actually practice in our space suits. We practiced jumping from the Dragon into the ocean and swimming a distance to a life raft with our life support supplies. I’m a decent swimmer, but it helps that you also wear an inflatable device that helps with buoyancy. We simulated egress in calm and moderate conditions and it was actually a lot of fun, and being in the cool water felt great in the Florida heat. Also, no sharks spotted.
To learn . Jude Children’s Research Hospital, theInspiration4mission and ways you can support and participate, visitstjude.org/inspiration4. Fans can also follow Hayley’s personal journey into space onInstagramandTwitter.
source: people.com
