Skydiving, diving, spacesuit training and 6.1 G load tests are part of the preparation of Tatyana Ivanova, who dreams of becoming the first Bulgarian woman to fly in space. She is studying aerospace engineering at the American university “Embry-Riddle“ and is undergoing training related to suborbital flights. At the moment, there is no information that she has performed a space flight or that a date for one has been announced.
“When I was 15 years old, in 2018, I realized that I wanted to become an astronaut“, Ivanova told BNT. According to her, the example of people who dive, parachute and pilot airplanes made her understand how important preparation and the ability to make the right decision in an extreme situation are.
Preparation for flight and work outside a spacecraft
Ivanova already has a skydiving license and eight specializations as a diver. In January, she begins a course for professional divers. Part of her training is related to space suits and EVA - an activity in which the astronaut goes outside the spacecraft in a depressurized environment.
The program includes meteorology, physics and practical classes in a space capsule simulator. Ivanova explains that participants are also taught how to exit a capsule, with the training being monitored by professionals in the US working for government agencies.
Among the tests is a survival drill, in which a helicopter cabin turns 180 degrees in water. During an aerobatic flight in Florida, Ivanova experienced a load of 6.1 Gs - six times the acceleration of gravity. "Everything you do every day prepares you and makes you stronger," she says.
Space as a scientific goal
For Ivanova, flight is not just a personal goal. She plans to continue her education with a doctorate in atmospheric sciences and study aerodynamics and air currents.
According to her, exploring Mars can give scientists a better idea of how the Earth has changed and what could happen to it in the distant future. She cites science as the main reason she chose aerospace engineering, not just as a path to the title of "astronaut".
In her studies, Ivanova is often the only girl in the class. She says that in the aerodynamics subject she asked a lot of questions, although this was sometimes perceived as excessive. However, on the second exam she received the highest grade in the class.
If she achieves her goal, Ivanova will be the first Bulgarian woman to fly in space. So far, Bulgaria has sent two men - Georgi Ivanov and Alexander Alexandrov.