Arctic survival training with cosmonauts

Survival of the Russian cosmonauts over the Arctic Polar Circle

The preparation of the astronaut lasts several years and in the program it is also inserted the theme of the survival, important chapter for a crew that develops landing of fortune out of the anticipated place. Before the rescuers arrive, the heroes of the space have to know The principles of survival.

A military airplane transfers us to Vorkuta, over the Arctic Polar Circle, where we have to overcome the difficult test of 48 hours with temperatures around the -40oC and so much wind.

At the beginning we have to build a shelter, where we succeed to heat some water to make the coffee, wich is the only luxury that we can grant there in this world of ice. To eat we have some tablet of pemmican, rich of proteins and fats.

It's very cold. Inside the shelter the temperatures is -25oC. It's a true fight against a merciless enemy: the nature. We cannot fall asleep for a long time. The cold mine the wish' and it benumbs the spirit. The wrist it's weak, the drowsiness it's more and more heavy.

When in the morning, the faded disk of the sun sprouts to the horizon, it ends our adventure to the border of the world.

JACEK PALKIEWICZ