Russia Developing Lunar Surface Analog Complex for Astronaut Training

MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/ Russia’s Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA) is working on a ground-based analog complex that would prepare astronauts to work on the surface of the Moon, an FMBA official told TASS.

"The FMBA Center for Space Medicine and Biology is developing this area and sees it as one of the strategic priorities for the Russian space industry. In particular, they are working on the creation of a ground-based analog complex, a kind of 'a lunar test site' that would reproduce conditions close to the planetary surface and prepare astronauts to work on it," the official said.

Astronauts will practice extravehicular activities on the surface: skills of exiting, locking, maintenance and repair of equipment, as well as dust removal upon return to the residential module. A separate unit is proposed to develop countermeasures against the effects of lunar dust, protocols for emergency situations and assessment of the human condition under a prolonged increased stress, including psychological aspects and teamwork of the crew.

The FMBA is developing simulators to prepare the astronauts 's sensory and vestibular systems for flight conditions, as well as methods for assessing the crew's readiness for work immediately after landing.

"This is a complex task at the intersection of medicine, physiology and engineering, and here the FMBA of Russia has unique competencies for the country," the official said.