TOMSK, Mar 13 – RIA Tomsk. A graduate of the Faculty of Physics and Engineering of Tomsk State University (FPE TSU) Daria Zhidova will take part in the Russian-American experiment SIRIUS-19, which simulates a flight to the Moon; Tomsk resident will perform the role of a flight engineer, the press service of the university said on Wednesday.
It is noted that the four-month isolation experiment SIRIUS-19 includes an imitation of the flyby of the Moon and landing on its surface, as well as the way home. During the "flight" crew members will conduct medical, physiological, psychological, technological experiments, will test various equipment and even grow up their greenhouse.
"Daria Zhidova <...> participates in the four-month SIRIUS-19 experiment, which simulates a flight to the Moon ... During the experiment, a team of six crew members will have to conduct about 80 scientific experiments and test the mock-ups and stands developed at the RSC Energia. The start of the project is scheduled for March 19", – is said in the statement.
It is specified that the isolation experiment SIRIUS-19 is conducted jointly by the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBP) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and American company Human Research Program NASA. During the "flight" crew headed by the commander – pilot-cosmonaut Evgeny Tarelkin – will be in a specially designed ground-based experimental complex. The results of the experiments will be used to organize the work of the ISS and the mission to Mars.
"In the experiment I will be in the position of the right hand of the flight crew commander – flight engineer. The functions of the flight engineer here are no different from his functions onboard the ISS. I have to monitor the performance of all systems, monitor and control systems during the flight, and perform a number of technically difficult operations: coupling and landing of the entire take-off and landing complex on the lunar surface", – the press service quoted Zhidova.
Daria Zhidova ended TSU in 2013 and now works as a test engineer in the flight test department of the Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia. In 2018, she was among the candidates for the crew of SIRIUS-19.