Articles
Greg Olsen Making Strides in Space Flight Training
May 24, 2004
Chairman and private space explorer begins Soyuz simulator instruction
Star City, Russia -- SUI, Part Of Goodrich Corporation's Chairman of the Board, Gregory Olsen, Ph.D., has completed the first major step of his six-month cosmonaut training program at the Yuri Gargarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. On May 7, Olsen successfully passed his first test at the helm of a Soyuz simulator, modeling the rocket that will transport him and a crew of two professional Cosmonauts to the International Space Station (ISS) currently planned for April 2005. As part of his training, which includes experiencing weightlessness in a zero-gravity jet, neutral buoyancy training under the guidance of mission controllers, and learning how to live and operate aboard the ISS, Olsen must also be prepared to respond to critical scenarios that may involve him taking control of the Russian designed spacecraft.
The Soyuz TMA is the longest serving and most reliable manned spacecraft in the world. It was originally conceived in Sergei Korolev's OKB-1 design bureau for the Soviet effort to explore the moon at the beginning of the 1960s. Long after the moon race was over, however, the Soyuz continued ferrying Russian crews to the Salvut and Almaz orbital stations and performed several solo flights, including the historic docking with the U.S. Apollo in 1975. The Soyuz is an icon of the Russian space program and continues to service the ISS and its crew.
"This has been a challenging, yet highly rewarding experience," remarked Dr. Olsen, "I am eager and excited to proceed with the next phase of training in preparation for my mission." The technology produced by SUI will be integral to Olsen's experiments and research aboard the ISS. Using a near infrared mini-camera also developed by his company, Dr. Olsen plans to view the Earth and the heavens in ways they have never been seen before.
Founded in 1991, SUI is the world's leading manufacturer of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) devices. Headquartered in Princeton, N.J., the company pioneered the design and production of the optic industry's most technically advanced and innovative shortwave and near infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs), cameras and high-speed detectors. By optimizing this cutting edge camera technology, SUI is revolutionizing detection capabilities and providing reliable, high performance products used for a variety of critical military, national security, telecommunications and industrial applications such as covert surveillance, machine vision, night vision, health and safety protocols, historical art inspection and many others. For more information on how the company is imaging beyond the visible or to learn more about Dr. Olsen's remarkable mission, please visit the SUI website at www.sensorsinc.com.
