Dripping filter experiment. Credits: ESA-V. Crobu

Dripping filter experiment. Credits: ESA-V. Crobu

When astronauts fly to space, they have to perform scientific experiments on behalf of the scientists who designed the experiments. Often those experiments are performed more than six months after the training was provided. Sometimes, although not often, no training is performed at all due to changes in planning leading up to the experiment.

What we do in those cases, and what is being used more often to refresh astronauts knowledge on the finer details of operations, is prepare OnBoard Training (OBT) video instructions.

For CAVES 2013, we decided to include such a training video for the Dripping Filter experiment. The experiment requires a simple set of operations, but with critical steps that would ruin the experiment if ignored.

In the following post Paolo Marcia, the experiment designer, introduces the rationale behind the experiment itself.

Train yourself, as the CAVES 2013 cavenauts did, to perform this experiment, following instructions by Jo De Waele, CAVES science coordinator and instructor Paolo.

Do you think you could be the scientist’s remote hand with the help of the video? Simple enough, right?

Loredana Bessone