Among the physical challenges and special psychological tests, the pace of competitions accelerated in the second episode of the program «Astronauts», on Dubai TV, in cooperation with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and the participation of 12 participants from various Arab countries, to achieve the dream of leadership and access to space, Its an exceptional experience.
The audience followed in the second episode a general summary of the previous episode, which resulted in the exit of the Bahraini joint Hind Al-Awadhi, for lack of adequate physical fitness, and achieved unsatisfactory results in the challenge of barrier race, and driving heavy machinery.
The Canadian astronaut and Saud Karmstaji announced the departure of the Lebanese participant Emilio Sassine, due to his inability to balance his ambitions and work in a team spirit, in addition to his feeling of tension, and did not achieve satisfactory results in the challenge of escape from the capsule, and challenge indoor.
«Escape from the capsule»
The first challenge of the second episode was with the jury members announcing the “escape from the capsule underwater” challenge, simulating the same conditions that astronauts might face in the event of an emergency landing, where participants first underwent some exercises and instructions before the challenge began in terms of following A series of steps out of the capsule, which will first be lowered vertically in a private pool, then inverted at a 180 degree angle, to test the participants' ability to escape, while maintaining their concentration and calm during these difficult conditions.
Saud Karamstaji, a member of the jury, announced the division of the participants into five groups, which included in the first group, the UAE joint Nasser Al-Ghafiri and the Lebanese joint Rana Nicola, where each proved their ability to control their reactions, unlike the Saudi joint Saeed Al-Zahrani, who He expressed his old fear of drowning and took his glasses, which the jury did not agree to wear during the implementation of the challenge, and managed to get out of the capsule only with the special assistance of the accompanying divers, unlike the Lebanese participant Mohammed Abbas, who reacted well in the words Members of the jury, as well The Iraqi participant Badr Lafta, who has previous experience in the field of diving, at a time when the Lebanese participant Emilio Sassine did not abide by the set of instructions for this challenge, and could not hold his breath in the seven seconds preceding the flooding of the capsule prepared for this purpose.
Psychological tests
The contestants were interviewed by Loma Naqash, a psychologist who deliberately collected additional information about their family history, social life, and previous positions, as well as a number of questions about ambitions, fear and hopes, and other comprehensive personality tests. Saudi Arabia's Mashail Al-Shamimri spoke about the character of determination and challenge in her personality, as well as her constant sadness to stay away from her mother since she was eight years old, unlike the Iraqi participant Farid Lafta, who looked like a museum. A little bit in his answers, while the Lebanese joint EMILIO revealed Sassine quest to perfection, as well as the case for Saudi joint Raha Moharrak, which also revealed the possession of determination and the ability to continue the challenges to achieve its objectives.
When the psychologist asked all participants about their acceptance of the idea of going on a scientific trip to Mars without returning to Earth, the participants unanimously rejected the idea, except the Saudi participant Saeed Al-Zahrani, who expressed his acceptance of this virtual scientific idea, while everyone made great efforts to remember the first question that It was released at the beginning of the psychological test.
Narrow places
After a short break, the participants returned to the astronauts headquarters, where they were waiting for the final challenge in this episode, to find out the ability of each participant to overcome the fear of narrow and closed places, in a simulation of the whereabouts of astronauts on the space station, by sitting each participant inside A 20-minute ball, during which he unscrews and straps his shoes, as well as appreciates the time properly based on his own skills, without the use of time measuring devices.
With the announcement of Canadian astronaut «Chris Hadfield», to provide each participant with sensors of heartbeat and blood pressure, the challenge began with the lights out amid a state of anticipation of the members of the jury, which surprised the exit of the Iraqi participant Farid gesture from the ball after about 13 minutes, while The Lebanese participant Rana Nicolas showed a state of harmony with the current situation through controlling her heartbeat, and the Kuwaiti subscriber Bader Al-Mawla achieved excellent results with his release on time in a few seconds. Lebanese Joint Member Pass time increased 47 seconds, while the UAE joint Mohammed Ahli remained for 29 minutes, and the joint Saudi Arabia Mashael Shamimri longest stay in the ball.
• “Escape Challenge” is a simulation of the same conditions that astronauts might face in case of emergency landing.
• The contestants were interviewed with a psychologist who collected information about their family history and social life.