KT live blog: How UAE astronauts prepare for space in Russia

Moscow - Khaleej Times is on ground in Moscow and following Al Mansoori's activities in Russia before he travels to Kazakhstan.

Khaleej Times is reporting live from a Russia-based training facility of where all astronauts train at, including Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansoori, who is going to the International Space Station (ISS) on September 25.

Al Mansoori and his backup Sultan Al Neyadi spent over an year undergoing brutal exercises at The Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC) in Moscow, including experiencing simulations of zero-gravity and high levels of gravitational force.

The first machine involves a treadmill that is used on the ISS. Al Mansoori trained on the same machine that is also available at GCTC. The treadmill pulls on a human's body weight to create a simulation of how exercising in space would be.
Khaleej Times is on ground in Moscow and following Al Mansoori's activities in Russia before he travels to Kazakhstan. Here are the latest updates (UAE local time):

1:35pm

#KTLiveinMoscow: This is a replica of the #InternationalSpaceStation where the #Emirati #astronaut will be living for eight days.
(KT video: Sarwat Nasir)

Live blog: https://t.co/BqPrlOzpKx@MBRSpaceCentre @Space_Station @astro_hazzaa pic.twitter.com/T0IwPH4ghd
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

12:50pm

#KTLiveinMoscow: A replica of the Soyuz spacecraft which the #Emirati #astronauts will launch in on September 25. (KT video: Sarwat Nasir)

Live blog: https://t.co/BqPrlOzpKx pic.twitter.com/2eLsq4JRql
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

12:45pm

#KTLiveInMoscow: Over at the silence chamber at the training centre, the astronauts take a special exam -- they sit in the silent chamber without sleeping for 64 hours. (KT video: Sarwat Nasir)

Live blog: https://t.co/BqPrlOzpKx pic.twitter.com/YzyxWxeZSv
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

12:14pm

#KTLiveInMoscow: The astronauts are taken to a tilting table that imitates the rotation they will experience in space.

The doctors measure how human's organs will react to blood rushing to the brain, as well as how their bodies will adapt to landing back.
(Video: Sarwat Nasir) pic.twitter.com/FOoOX1H4Vx
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

12:02pm

#DidYouKnow: Hazza Al Mansoori @astro_hazzaa
was the first candidate in the #UAE's astronaut programme to pass the rotating chair test. A total of five per cent of candidates fail this test. https://t.co/BqPrlOzpKx
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

11:50am

This chair rotates 360 degrees in two seconds!

The exercise aims to familiarise astronauts with space-motion sickness and help their bodies adapt to the feeling of weightlessness. (KT video: Sarwat Nasir)

Live blog: https://t.co/BqPrlOzpKx pic.twitter.com/e5fUIkfefa
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

11:32am

The doctor in charge of the cardiovascular test said most of the UAE astronauts candidates failed this test, however, @astro_hazzaa and Sultan Al Neyadi made it through.

Live blog: https://t.co/BqPrlOzpKx
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

11:28am

The cyclometer helps determine how the human heart reacts to zero-gravity. This is where most of the #astronaut candidates fail to reach the next level of the programme as they are required to have a strong and healthy heart. (Photo: Sarwat Nasir)https://t.co/BqPrlOzpKx pic.twitter.com/d0MncARThx
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

11:20am

The doctor that looked after #Emirati #astronaut Hazza Al Mansoori @astro_hazzaa and his backup Sultan Al Neyadi said they passed the tilting table exercise with flying colours.

Live blog: https://t.co/BqPrlOzpKx
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

Tuesday, 11am :

Khaleej Times is live at a Russian training facility where #UAE's first #astronaut trained at. The first machine is a treadmill that adds 40 to 70kgs on a human's body to create a simulation of what it's like to exercise in zero-gravity. (KT video: Sarwat Nasir) pic.twitter.com/r935vV2cCP
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) September 3, 2019

• UAE