24h Le Mans
This upcoming weekend in July 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first man on the moon, and in honour of the occasion, we will be sharing a series of articles devoted to unique parallels between the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans and various space missions. The cockpit is the heart of a 24 Hours of Le Mans car. In this confined space, with nonstop vibrations and heat, driver comfort is relative. The same can be said for the capsules astronauts use to board the International Space Station.
Drivers at the 24 Hours of Le Mans value the comfort and ergonomics of their driving position. Doing multiple stints in an unbearable cockpit can quickly turn into a nightmare and compromise the outcome of the race. For astronauts who set out on a mission, the cockpit is also a crucial element.
Like the cockpit in a 24 Hours of Le Mans car, the one in the Soyuz - a spacecraft that currently takes astronauts to and from the Internatinoal Space Station - is anything but spacious. Motorsport and space exploration engineers have a common goal: optimise space and weight. In the Soyuz, when the astronauts are sitting in their seats (previously molded, like for drivers), their heels are almost touching their buttocks. They are attached at eight points (six for drivers) to fit the shape of the seat. Comfort is not necessarily a priority, but for drivers and astronauts to be effective and efficient, engineers must take into account the most practical and ergonomic solutions. In endurance racing, engineers consult drivers for button placement on the steering wheel, for the driving position and more.
Like drivers, astronauts are in constant radio communication with their team of engineers. It's their main link to the outside world. While a Le Mans car is driven with a steering wheel, the command pilot of the Soyuz can choose a stylus to help push the appropriate buttons, and he has the help of two other astronauts.
In their cockpits, drivers and cosmonauts endure acceleration up to 5Gs, meaning they withstand up to five times the weight of their own bodies. To handle that pressure, they follow a strict physical preparation regimen ahead of every race or mission.
