Preflight Interview: Yuri Lonchakov

The STS-100 Crew Interviews with Yuri Lonchakov, Mission Specialist.

Q: Yuri, tell me: Why did you want to become a cosmonaut?

A. It was my dream from childhood. I was studying in the secondary school, and also I was a student in a flight school, which still exists. This is a school for young cosmonauts, named after Russian cosmonaut Patsayev. At that school, we studied very special subjects, such as aerodynamics, navigation. We were jumping with a parachute. We were using simulators. Already then, we were getting ready to get into a flight school. Already at that time, I knew that, to become a cosmonaut, it is necessary to become a pilot first, to get experience there, and already after that, you can be selected to be a cosmonaut. So, being a boy, I was having a dream to become a cosmonaut. Astronomy was one of my favorite subjects, and, at that time, I started dreaming of flying in space. I hope I will be flying in space.

You had the dream early on. What did you do to continue to pursue that dream? What about your education beyond that point?

First of all, I graduated from a secondary school. I graduated from a special military flight school. After that, I became a student of Air Force pilot school. I studied there for four years. I was in a Baltic Air Force fleet, Black Sea Air Force fleet, so I flew everywhere. After that, I entered the Zhukovski Air Force Academy in Moscow where I became a pilot-engineer-researcher. I studied for 3 years there. In 1997, I was selected to become a cosmonaut. And then, I was still a student at the academy for 1 more year, and I was already selected to be a cosmonaut. It was a little bit hard, but then, finally I graduated. And now, I am a member of the cosmonaut fleet.

Have there been any particular people along the way that have helped you, that have inspired you to get where you are?

Probably at the beginning it was Alexander Korbanov, who was the head of Young Pilots School - he is still the head of that school - and also, my uncle, I think, who was a military pilot. He also was going through the selection process to become a cosmonaut, and, I was asking him many questions about that process. So, probably these two people gave me the push.

Let's talk about this shuttle flight - STS-100. Tell me the significance of this robot arm you're bringing to the International Space Station.

This will be an interesting flight. We have interesting, complicated tasks. My team members, Scott Parazynski and Chris Hadfield, are doing EVA. We are bringing the manipulator arm, SSRMS, as you said. It is an exciting task. When we install the arm, we activate it and check it out. This piece of equipment will be a significant piece on the station because it will be difficult to continue assembling the station without this piece. It will be impossible probably to continue assembling sometimes without this manipulator arm.

Tell me more about that. Why is this arm so important? What does it do down the road on the space station?

As I mentioned already, it is important because first of all it is a great contribution of Canada to construction of the International Space Station. This will be a piece of equipment to aid complicated activities on the station that are not possible to complete without this piece.

Before you attach this piece to the space station, you have to rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station. Talk me through that process and tell me what you will be doing during the rendezvous and docking.

Docking itself is a typical operation. From a distance of about 2,000 feet, we start a rendezvous. Then we'll switch to the manual mode. Then retrograde burns in the shuttle perform a special maneuver to fly around the station, and then, using a number of maneuvers and retrograde burns, we'll perform docking. This is a typical process.

After you successfully dock with the space station, what happens in those hours just after the docking? Any work going on then?

In the first hours after docking, we'll naturally be getting ready to open the hatches and to meet [the Expedition Two] crew, which will be [the] most exciting moment of this flight probably. And everybody will have certain tasks. Everybody will have his individual timeline schedules with exactly what we're supposed to do. And, to be specific, well, you know, it will take a lot of time for me to tell you what exactly we're going to do. Of course, we'll be getting ready to open the hatches and to meet the crew, which is most important. For that, you have to perform a number of procedures. We'll be quite busy.

You'll be the first folks to meet the crew on orbit, the Expedition Two crew. Do you have anything special that you're going to be bringing them?

Good question. Yes. Naturally, we'll bring presents and letters from relatives, close friends. I cannot reveal this right now because it is going to be a surprise from our crew and let them not know it yet.

The day after you do successfully dock with the space station, the shuttle's robot arm is used to install the robot arm that you mentioned earlier on to the space station and the first space walk begins. Talk me through what happens on this very busy day and tell me what you'll be doing while the space walks are going on.

On that day, as you said, the UHF antenna is going to be installed. Scott Parazynski and Chris Hadfield will be performing their EVA. John Phillips and myself will be supporting the EVA operations. John Phillips will be on comm all the time. I will be filming, [taking] pictures. Prior to [the] EVA, we'll do [a] complete checkout according to the list that we have. We'll prepare all the equipment. We'll be helping to don the EVA suits to the EVA members, and we'll be helping them as they work outside.

When they go outside, they're going to be installing that UHF antenna that you mentioned. What sort of additional communications will be possible once that antenna is on board the space station?

I believe when we install this UHF antenna the main thing is that the communication between MCC-Moscow and MCC-Houston and the station is going to be more reliable.

Also, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module is going to be lifted up out of the cargo bay and attached to the space station. What is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module? What does it do and what is in this particular module that you are bringing to the space station this time?

This is the first flight of [Raffaello], the Italian module. There will be three of them altogether. Leonardo, Raffaello, and Donatello, if I'm not mistaken. It is a great significance because using this module, we'll be transferring cargo to orbit and taking cargo from the station to bring it down, which makes this process much easier. I believe this is a great contribution of Italy to the development of the space station.

What is the process of getting this logistics module attached to the space station?

Jeff Ashby and Umberto Guidoni are going to do that. In short, the shuttle arm is going to grapple MPLM and through a number of maneuvers, it will dock it to the Node. And, already after that the unloading operations will go on.

Do you expect you'll be unloading a lot? Will that take a lot of your time, just unloading this module?

I don't think it will take too much time, because, right now, the crew is being trained extensively. The crew has already seen the module itself. And, I don't think there will be any problems because we're all well trained, and my crewmembers are experienced astronauts. And, I hope there will be no problems.

The day after the MPLM is attached, Chris Hadfield and Scott Parazynski go back outside on the second space walk of the flight. Talk me through those events, and, again, describe for me what you'll be doing to support these space walks.

As I said before, just like their first EVA, we'll be doing all the checkouts. John Phillips is the backup EVA astronaut. He and I will be checking out all the equipment, the space suits, and after that, when the guys are outside, John Phillips will be supporting communication with the EVA crewmembers. I will be filming and taking still pictures, and I will be helping John Phillips.

What is the condition of the robot arm at the end of the space walk? Is it fully functional at that point?

Yes. As it is being planned now, after installation and deployment, the arm is going to be completely ready to operate.

The day after the second space walk, there is a test of the new robot arm. Describe for me what that test is and how that's going to happen.

This is a typical process. We'll have checkout procedures to use, a typical procedure to checkout the operation ability of the space arm.

There is also in your timeline a scheduled third space walk, in case you need it. Why is that space walk listed in your timeline?

The flight itself is very important. We're bringing SSRMS. We are installing the UHF antenna. We're bringing in the Italian module. And, the third EVA is there just in case. In case some of the major tasks for installation of the same manipulator arm, for example, are not performed, and, this way we'll have this backup EVA just in case. I hope we will not have it. I hope the guys will perform everything they have to during the first two EVAs. These are complicated space walks. They will be quite tired already after the first two EVAs, and it will be good if they perform everything they have to. They are very experienced, and they will do what they have to.

If they do get everything done in the first two space walks, how will you use that extra time you will now have available?

This additional time, as we discussed it amongst the crewmembers, will be used for performing certain activities on both shuttle and the station. We'll be also transporting cargo and the scientific equipment from the station to the shuttle and vice versa, so we'll be busy.

When you've finished all those transfers, the MPLM can then be returned to the shuttle's payload bay. How does that happen? Is it just simply a reverse of the way it was attached to the space station?

Yes, in general, it is a reverse process. It will be grappled by the arm, and the MPLM will be installed in the payload bay of the shuttle.

What do you anticipate happening on the day you say goodbye to the Expedition Two crew? What will that day be like?

It will probably be a little bit sad. I mean, the second crew of ISS will be a little bit sad. We'll be also quite busy with the undocking operations. We'll be getting ready for closing the hatches and performing all the necessary checkouts.

Tell me about that hatch closing and the checkouts and the undocking. Just describe that process for me, and again, tell me how you'll be assisting the process.

Prior to undocking, we check out all the equipment before closing the hatches. We'll be checking various pressure parameters, doing leak checks. For all of that, we have designated procedures. We are checking out everything. We're closing the hatches; then we're checking out again. Then we are waiting for some time, and then according to the timeline, we undock.

Now, this is your first flight into space and you're flying aboard an American space shuttle. All of your experience in space training has involved international cooperation. What have you learned from your fellow cosmonauts about the changes in the Russian space program and how would you describe your experience as a cosmonaut?

Well, how can I answer this question? Before there were two space industries - Russian and American - working separately in space. There was the [Apollo-Soyuz] Program, which was the beginning - the first milestone - for international cooperation. We also have inter-cosmos program for international cooperation where we gained additional experience. Now, I believe the program is changing. But, the experience that we gained during long-term flights is being handed over to our international partners, which is very important. I think our mission is a small example of international cooperation for Americans, Russians, Italians and Canadians. This is great. I can add that right now in the crew, we have four nationalities. We'll have four flags in space, which is an example of cooperation, of working together. Astronauts are easy to work with, and we have a great crew. We understand each other very well. I feel very comfortable in this crew. My crewmembers help me a lot. John Phillips is the second rookie in the team. I'm very glad that I'm not the only one, and we are all understanding each other.

Tell me about Russia's ongoing contribution to the space station. What will Russia provide in the years to come?

First of all, as you know, the FGB [and] SM Russian modules, were launched. It would be impossible to begin construction of the International Space Station without [them]. In the future, Russia will also provide a couple of Russian modules and various kinds of equipment. Also, space vehicles. Soyuz, for example, which is [currently] the rescue vehicle. It is necessary for safe operation of crew in space. Very important.

Russia has a very long, successful history in space especially with the Mir space station. What lessons have been learned from the Mir space station? How have those lessons been applied to the work going on onboard the International Space Station?

Great experience. Our Russian cosmonauts stayed in space from 6 months to a year. Vladimir Polyakov flew over a year. This is the experience which is unique for space flights, and we can use it now, for the future, even for planning, for everything, for monitoring crew health. We are handing over this experience to the crews [that] are going to stay in space for a long time... We will be continuing working in that direction. But, if we did not have experience that we gained before in Russia, it would be difficult for the first crew to stay in space for that long period of time because there would be too many unknowns. I think it's very important experience. Useful.