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AI Cadre undertook their Self-Reliance weekend at Bramley training area in preparation for Easter Camp at the beginning of April. 10 Over half term, students from Abingdon and St Helen’s travelled to Russia’s Star City to take part in the Cosmonaut Space and Leadership Experience. They were only the second British school group to have lived and worked at the Russian Space Agency’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre near Moscow. The students spent four nights living in the Kosmonaut Hostel within the secure Star City complex. Here they were under the constant guidance and instruction of a true expert in the field of space exploration, ex-NASA Astronaut Dr Mike Foale CBE. Jeremy Thomas, who accompanied the visit and who teaches Physics at Abingdon said, “This was a truly unique experience for all the pupils. Having Mike Foale for the whole trip was a fantastic opportunity that has inspired most of them to consider future careers in space exploration.” The students thoroughly enjoyed the training, including Soyuz docking simulators and hands-on emergency evacuation and first aid procedures. The most popular activity was the survival training in the forest surrounding the complex, where top, military experts taught the students how to build shelters and signal fires to survive sub-zero temperatures until rescuers arrive. The students also had time to visit Moscow’s iconic sites, including Red Square and the Kremlin. They all thoroughly enjoyed the trip and made a fantastic impression on their hosts who were genuinely impressed by their knowledge and enthusiasm. The best compliment came from Mike Foale, astronaut extraordinaire, who was overheard on the bus to the airport saying, “That was the most fun I have ever had at Star City!” Third and fourth year students, their parents and staff spent a memorable evening watching “Cultura of China, Festival of Spring” performed by the professional artists from Jiangsu Province Department of Culture. Acts included opera, acrobatics, folk songs, traditional instruments and dance. Out and About Exploring Space in Star City Inside the airlock of the Mir training module with astronaut Mike Foale Joseph O’Shea (left) and Tom Preston (right) with a Russian Orlan space walking suit