They attend classes on shuttle systems, in basic science and technology. Mathematics, geology, meteorology, guidance and navigation, oceanography, orbital dynamics, astronomy, physics, and materials processing are among the subjects.
Candidates receive training in land and sea survival, scuba diving, and space suits.
Consequently, all astronaut candidates are required to pass a swimming test during their first month of training. Candidates also are exposed to the problems associated with high and low atmospheric pressures in the altitude chambers and learn to deal with emergencies associated with these conditions. In addition, astronaut candidates are given exposure to the microgravity of space flight. During this brief period, astronauts experience the feeling of microgravity. The aircraft then returns to the original altitude and the sequence is repeated up to 40 times in a day.