Anthony Vanchu visited the University to his current role as director of the language lab at TechTrans International, a language-focused contractor that partners with NASA to teach astronauts.
Vanchu, a former professor of Slavic languages at the University of Texas, has instructed astronauts in Russian since the first missions of the International Space Station, and his work has facilitated communication between Americans and their Russian counterparts for almost 30 years.
Earlier in the day, Vanchu taught a section of a Russian class and did a mini-presentation on Russian acronyms commonly used in the space program. Later, in ten Hoor, Vanchu spoke with students and faculty members from the University’s Russian program, discussing the quirks of astronauts’ communication and the unique challenges of instructing astronauts due to their busy schedules.
Vanchu started his lecture by explaining the importance of his work in relation to the general function of the space station.
“It’s truly international,” Vanchu said. “The first components launched in ‘98, and it’s quite an ambitious undertaking. Especially since you have modules made in different countries.”
English was intended to be the sole language spoken aboard the ISS, Vanchu said, but once astronauts started living aboard the station, the reality of international collaboration set in. Components and interfaces were labeled in Russian, some flight controllers only spoke Russian and many of the Russian cosmonauts weren’t taught technical information in English.
Currently, American astronauts are sometimes sent to the ISS by Russian Soyuz spacecraft, typically launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet state. Six modules aboard ISS, including two core modules in the center of the space station, were manufactured by Russians, and many resupply missions are still launched from Baikonur. The ability to speak Russian is a valuable tool for astronauts to have and can be the difference between life and death in certain situations.
“During flight, astronauts will need to comprehend and take appropriate actions based on information shown on displays and labels on Russian equipment,” Vanchu said. “Using an interpreter would make things very awkward, take more time and cost more money.”
NASA partnered with TechTrans International in order to make Russian a core part of the space program. Vanchu explained that Russian instruction at the language lab is often dynamic, sometimes taking place remotely as astronauts move across the country for training. The course material is often flexible, and, despite being tailored to astronautical needs, it can change to reflect an individual’s curiosity.
“Sometimes we have to adapt or jettison a lesson plan if an astronaut comes in and there’s some hot topic that they’re really interested in,” Vanchu said.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the language lab worked with different forms of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, even “mini-lessons” where astronauts communicate in Russian with instructors on the go through text or email. One instructor who was a fan of long-distance running even created a “Russian-on-the-Run” program where astronauts would jog while chatting together in Russian.
Unlike a traditional academic Russian course, the Language Lab has a curriculum and resources designed for the rigors and demands of spaceflight. The program has mock-ups of Russian vehicles and ISS modules so that astronauts can get firsthand experience with their tools, and the course has an intense focus on acronyms and space terminology that differs from average Russian. American astronauts also have to take classes at the Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow, so they have to be prepared for oral examinations and assignments given in Russian.
At the event, Vanchu allowed students to peruse actual instructional books containing Russian exercises designed to teach astronauts important vocabulary and comprehension skills. One manual, about the size of a textbook, contained a list of important acronyms that astronauts would have to familiarize themselves with. Aboard the ISS, even common instructions and sayings would be shortened for convenience and expediency.
After taking questions from students about the space program, the forthcoming retirement of the ISS and the future of Russo-American cooperation, Vanchu showcased a video shot on an early ISS mission. It showed a Russian cosmonaut touring the space station, which was still in the process of being built, and demonstrated how American astronauts would communicate with their Russian counterparts.
At the end of his lecture, Vanchu implored students to continue studying Russian, both for its role as a critical language and to develop overall linguistic skills. He said students could also look for a job with NASA.
“Want to become an astronaut?” Vanchu said. “Learn scuba and get a private pilot’s license. Those are two big things to have on your resume.”
