Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has offered a rare peek inside NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where he recently strapped into the legendary Multi Axis Trainer (MAT). The spinning simulator, once used for Mercury astronauts, recreates the chaotic roll, pitch, and yaw of an out-of-control spacecraft.
The machine is designed to prepare astronauts for emergencies like the one Neil Armstrong faced during the Gemini 8 mission in 1966. “This trainer exposed astronauts to extreme spin rates so they could keep control of their capsule,” Shukla explained.
In his video, Shukla calmly narrates while the machine whirls him in unpredictable directions. Surprisingly, he says most trainees don’t get sick. “Your stomach stays at the center, so it’s not as bad as it looks. But if you close your eyes, the sensory conflict might make you nauseous—I wasn’t ready to test that.”
His post highlights the blend of history and grit in astronaut training, where classic methods still prepare today’s explorers for the demands of spaceflight.
