Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, together with NASA astronaut Anil Menon, have completed a comprehensive training exercise to respond to emergency situations in the Russian segment of the International Space Station. The exercises covered three key types of accidents: fire, module depressurization, and ammonia leakage from the thermal control system.
During the exercises, specialists at the ground control center simulated various scenarios, including the localization of a damaged compartment both with the help of onboard systems and manually — by sequentially closing hatches. Actions were also practiced in the event of a crew member developing symptoms of hypoxia and, if it was impossible to localize the accident, an emergency evacuation on a transport ship.
According to Yuri Shcherbakov, a leading specialist in cosmonaut training at the 1st Department of the Yuri A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, the emergency fire instruction provides for a strict algorithm of actions that the crew must know thoroughly. It includes sending an alarm signal (in case of failure of the automatic system), putting on gas masks, using fire extinguishers, and knowing the exact location of fire extinguishing equipment on board.
All training participants demonstrated coordinated work, clear command of protocols, and high readiness to respond in extreme situations.