Alexander during training

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst during training at Star City, Russia, on 13 February 2014. The exercice provides training for operations that Alexander would have to perform to attach himself safely in case he had to be airlifted by rescue helicopters.

Survival training is an important part of all Soyuz mission training. When a Soyuz spacecraft returns to Earth there is always the possibility that it could land in water.

Alexander Gerst is flight engineer for Expedition 40/41, which will be launched to the International Space Station in May 2014 on a long-duration mission to run science experiments and maintain humankind’s space base.