Astronaut Tests: Could You Pass? | BBC Earth Science

The panel will be watching the hover and monitoring the cockpit from inside the >> Derek walks like a big strong guy. I think he's got sort of a a swagger to the way he walks.

>> 27-year-old Derek will be put to the test by Tamsin Evans, who's been an instructor for 10 years. >> Well, you just sit and relax for a minute. Yes, yes. >> My review.

>> Yes, precisely. >> I'm starting with this test for two reasons. One, because the skill set of the astronauts that NASA are choosing right now includes helicopter flying, same as we're putting our candidates through here.

And two, because it's hard. This is going to be a complex test of mental capacity, technical ability, and of nerve. >> Derek is in charge of safety at nuclear power stations. He's fluent in three languages and has a black belt

in judo. But like the rest of the candidates, he's never flown a helicopter before. >> Look at he's got his game face on now. >> I'm competitive when I take part in challenge.

I'd like to win and I don't want to I want to make sure I get the best out of myself. >> They've each been given 15 minutes to master three controls: foot pedals, the hand lever, and the cyclic.

>> Right, what I'd like you to do is pop your feet on the pedals for me. We're going to start off with the pedals. >> The pedals move the chopper left or right. The lever moves it up and down.

>> These are people that are not used to Some of them will never get it. And so it'll be revealing how they deal with it. >> The hardest control, the cyclic, moves the helicopter across the ground.

>> Cyclic controls our position over the >> Only if Derek can master the cyclic will he be allowed to attempt all controls at once. >> So, I'd like you to keep it in this >> You have control of the cyclic only.

>> I have control. >> The cyclic is the most sensitive of the three controls. The slightest touch makes all the >> Okay. Delay. >> Quite sensitive.

>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Here, you have control of the cyclic. >> I have control. >> So, there's no real progress.

>> And as soon as you start thinking about it too much, he seems to be losing it. And now I have control. >> Not really much progress on my behalf. >> Right.

What we'll do is we'll head back. >> Time's up. >> He never calibrated on that cyclic, did >> Having failed to get as far as trying all three controls together, Derek didn't hold a full hover.

>> You could sense the frustration within him at the end. >> I could have done a lot better. Although you kind of know what you're doing wrong, for some reason it doesn't click what you should be doing in order to make that better.

>> Not all the candidates are new to the art of flying. Kerry is a pilot in the RAF. >> The original astronauts that were chosen by NASA were all pilots, so hopefully my military and aviation background might stand

me in good stead. >> Kerry quickly masters each of the controls individually. >> So, that's rock steady. >> She's quite relaxed. >> She's totally got this.