The aerocrew mission: training space session at Ny Aalesund Arctic base

Abstract

The Aerocrew mission was realized at Ny-Aalesund Arctic Base in December 2007, in theframe of the International Polar Year, and in cooperation with the French Polar Institute. The team made an original training experience, constituting an integrated space crew, including physicians, aerospace trainers and engineers, implied in a seminar with 4 sessions, dealing with the training capabilities of Arctic Bases. This kind of base constitutes a pertinent and affordable facility for aerospace teams, and the specific aerospace crew training techniques, are fruitful for the polar scientists (glaciologists, geologists, specialists of the atmosphere). The sessions, given by professionals of aerospace, robotics and medicine, covered the training methods for crews, robotics for outdoor and indoor activities, engineering of embedded systems, and the arrangement of crafts. The experience has shown the efficiency of a transverse visiting multidisciplinary team for training, and possible synergies with the resident scientists. In addition, the sessions were enriched by demonstrations such as mini-robot for observation, micro-helicopter, and also the comparison between EVA Russian glove and Polar Suits.