Space and Jeep

Return "out of space" in the dark — tenth hour. Two children in the back seat soundly sleeping. Our crossover Jeep Cherokee is pushed in the tube. Its turbodiesel 2.0 MultiJet (170 HP, 350 N•m) and then stops – this system start/stop saves fuel. The average consumption during our trip is 8.4 l/100 km During the trip "One day in space with a Jeep Cherokee", timed to the cosmonautics Day, we drove 130 km away. Planet Earth never left, but from everyday reality looked: launched "missiles" with "cosmodrome", has overcome the off-road area, visited Star city (cosmonaut training Center), met a real conqueror of space and won the children's drawing competition.

The winning entry is called "Union in space". In the upper left corner is the Sun in the lower Earth, in the upper right is Mars. The grey thing that looks like a skull, flying under rocket — Moon, next to the red comet. Reward — a small Lego from the Star Wars.

The invitation of the Moscow representation of the Jeep brand, we took it because of space, because of the diesel Cherokee nine-storyed "automatic" Drive told readers a year ago. Recall that we recognized the crossover is very decent car: he has a great motor, balanced chassis, all-wheel drive is a competent, informative steering wheel, a spacious and comfortable cabin with quality finishes, rich furnishings, large trunk.

We chided except on the wistful "automatic" ZF, but most of us are confused by the price a year ago for a Cherokee four-wheel drive asked 1 600 000 wood, and now, especially if having timed assessment to the Day of cosmonautics, for the diesel version of the sought truly astronomical 2 899 000 rubles. Our car is supplemented with options and costs 3 074 000.

On the new Cherokee I previously drove. The first thing to note — the high waist in a comfortable chair with a large range of adjustments. Under him set up everything for half a minute. No pitfalls there — the interface is simple and clear. The materials of good quality, as Assembly. The character of the car is transmitted instantaneously — it is exactly that you expect from a large modern car.

The organizers have offered to take a child. I have two of them, and for the right to go "in the space" between the two of them began mashing. Fortunately, it turned out that to grab both is not only possible, but necessary. Early on Wednesday morning we went to the place of gathering of participants of the expedition. It is symbolic that it was the Cosmos hotel near VDNKH. However, I have this hotel not synonymous with extraterrestrial space, and a red Mazda RX-8, which in the movie "Day watch" on the walls "Space" went the singer Zhanna Friske.

The people the hotel was called half a Cup. Inside we were first — the colourful like. Children Jeep was handed a backpack with a book and refreshments. Then there was Breakfast and a short briefing on the route. It turned out that going through Queens to the off-road section in the district Chernogolovka. There will be a mud puddle and launch the pyrotechnics. Then go to the foreign Ministry, the resort Park, the Cherokee presentation, a drawing contest and lunch, finally to Star city for a tour, and from there the evening we will head back to the hotel to hand over the car.

Minors after installation of child seats is located with the stock and the verdict "cool car". However, one of the straps didn't want to get the whole hog, stuck. That to the driver's complaints, and it is one — to lever the turn signals need to reach even the longest finger.

Under the happy chatter of the diesel we leave from Moscow and about the Queen run into a meteor belt tightly up in traffic an hour and a half. Here's the space... Passengers fall asleep, and he opened his eyes, starting to get nervous that we will miss the "rocket" launch. The chart really goes to hell — 54 km stretches three times. The hour and a half late, we will cost, because the tour of the cosmonaut training Center will be chaotic, hectic... But now the roads ahead. Off the asphalt we met a motorcyclist and asked to wait for the instructor whose Jeep Wrangler will show us the right path.

Photo for memory — clean your Cherokee, we'll see. By the way, the children were given the same badges, as adults, to feel like full participants.

The phrase "Through thorns to the stars" heard it all, but not everyone knows what the thorns. So called prickly plant, as well as suffering, difficulties, hardships. On the way to the "Spaceport Cherokee" we will just adversity — about nine minutes to travel on the track in the mud and snow. We translate the Selec-Terrain mode Auto, Sand/Mud, going in the footsteps of the instructor and do not forget to more thrust. Offspring on the roads I drove for the first time. Thought he will be terribly interesting — where there! Fun and games... as for Cherokee, he once again confirmed the SUV to call it wrong. For a crossover permeability enviable.

net/953c6a2s-960.jpg width=960 height=720 itemprop=contentUrl>On a makeshift spaceport flew not only the rocket, but balloons. The children gave the pile one pushed him into the trunk, the second had to take to the salon, where she began to obstruct the view through the rear window. Stuffed the bundle under the glove box. And what happened surprise when these balloons on the hill flew up to the ceiling if the airbags worked!

Stand away from the road on the highway, Blinker flashing, skip the thread. And then in front of us nearly crashes Cherokee departing with the oncoming van. Apparently, the driver fell asleep and lost the car. Thank God, managed to catch it at the last moment... We're going to lunch and presentation of the Jeep in the children's recreation camp named after Yuri Gagarin, located in the Spa Park of the MFA of Russia "Union". What is there just no zoo, water Park, climbing wall, go-karting, Golf, paintball, horseback riding!

While the adults are holding a press conference, the kids draws on the theme of space. (The results of the competition will bring a real astronaut.) From the presentation I know that the new Jeep Cherokee in Russia attracted to women — they make up 27% of the audience. The previous crossover was much more brutal and interesting purely because men.

At the briefing, some interesting details emerge. In Russia brought the Cherokee in the maximum configuration is the strategy to unleash the full potential of the model. Managers ask: what can, in the current crisis conditions we had, on the contrary, offer suggestions? Those say no. Another interesting point that I noticed: if the Cherokee opened a temporary exit, for example for natural needs, while translating the selector in "drive" and you press the accelerator it won't go. You need to put the car in "Parking" and only after that in D. the brake pedal as usual to keep down is not necessary. Weird.

Sorry, the program was not a visit to VDNKH, which is now home to the space Shuttle "Buran". However, the pavilion "Space" is still awaiting full-scale rebirth after held in this fair "the Gardener and the garden". Hopefully, the reincarnation of the pavilion will take place before the change of generations of Cherokee.

Another neponyatka with sportregion — when activated lights up the icon off the ESP. But if I want "sport", but with a stabilization system? We say: don't worry, the ESP is not disabled completely and still work. And in General — at Cherokee intelligence system. Meanwhile, the children paint on half sheet black felt-tip pens and crayons – drawing hopeless space. But given the go-ahead, and the machines we literally run to be in time to see the climax of Star city. Close to it, about ten kilometers, but too much time has passed.

A dozen kilometers along a scenic road in the woods and we are near the checkpoint of the cosmonaut training Center named after Yuri Gagarin. Of course, is strict access control. To get here, need to go through two checkpoints with barriers.

Architecture of Star city is not impressive — a typical Soviet building of ocher brick. In such cosmonauts live in the same ready to fly. Dull aesthetics does not prevent the merchants to depict these houses are tourist magnets and sell those for 120 rubles.

Citizens of Russia need to book a tour and to issue passes not later than five days before the visit. Ticket price for adult and student in the routine 500 and 350 rubles respectively. At the weekend the cost is doubled. But if it to do through an Agency, which itself will fit into the slot and set up a date. If you amount up to four people gathered themselves, learn things in advance and be prepared to pay from 10 000 rubles. Prepare money and for Souvenirs, there are good specimens. Overall — not cheap, never. But, Hey, it's a real Center of Russian cosmonautics!

In CTC the first we met Anatoly Mikhailovich of Chigirinov, a handsome scientist, a Professor at the starry sky. Chigirinov 70, in the cosmonaut training Center he works the fiftieth year (!) — learn to navigate by the stars and constellations. Listen to his stories difficult: the wise thoughts of the elder branchy, and the course unpredictable. But it is clear that navigation by the stars — an absolutely incredible skill. From myriads of luminous points to identify constellations and to build a constantly changing map of the sky — it must be able. In the planetarium Anatoly Mikhailovich showed how it's done. What you say, it's such an impossible task. Not gonna happen I an astronaut, I did not expect.

Soviet intellectual Anatoly Chigirinov teaches beginners the astronauts not get lost in the infinite cosmos. But I like his listener was hard not to lose the thread of the narrative. With the celestial sphere, the narrator jumps to the assessment of students in the diaries, then suddenly his memory materialized reception in the Kremlin, where the astronauts alcohol used to not drinking, and then began to take a little wine. And what of those who were forgotten and carried away, then the Kremlin has not been asked, but Industrialists don't concerned — they could drink as much as you want. In the planetarium, unfolding before us a map of the sky, Anatoly Mikhailovich was so enthusiastic that the organizers had it is polite to interrupt — we have to run on.

Moved to (now would be a difficult name), the Office of scientific support of the creation and testing of exercise equipment manned spacecrafts and training astronauts. Journalists with children to start off in the gift shop — to spend donated a Jeep "cosmonaute" in 2015 rubles: badges, t-shirts, mugs, models, magnets. Took two glass cube with three-dimensional images of the Solar system and an astronaut, two t-shirts with symbols of the CPC and a couple of magnets.

Go in the huge room. This is a Museum! No wait... It's not a Museum, but the real Center of the current astronauts. And they are prepared right here and now! This is what we said the guide, pointing to two pairs of sneakers standing on the porch of the simulator TDK 7СТ3 "Union". Yes, two cosmonaut candidates enrolled in the fetal position for several hours a day. In the picture below on the right is a space toilet, obviously outdated design. About new we were told that it works like a vacuum cleaner.

Our tour was curtailed — so, by and large, it is impossible. If you stood and listened to the guide, therefore, would not have seen the technique in the far corners In the Star need to come for the whole day or at least for five hours.

Speciale to suit, a training suit of the astronaut, the mask insulating space and feed tank from which drinking water almost all visitors to the station "Mir".

Friends, whose feast we celebrate today. In the poster — 119 astronauts, from Gagarin to the present day. Is everybody here? Don't know the numbers vary to the same category are: orbital flight, the visit to the station and so on. A man in a purple jumper (pictured below right) — a real conqueror of space, who had been on space stations twice. Details below.

Cosmonautics day? In my understanding, we celebrate the Feast of the Flying People! They are there, in zero gravity, soar and somersault, float in the air. Born to go — it flies. Isn't that fabulous? For me personally there is no greater magic than the flying man, and the cosmos entails just that. Even the astronauts, of course, see from the window live, Google Maps, and indeed the Cosmos. Don't know what it's like. But there is no envy, because the astronauts have earned that right with blood, sweat, and health. They're real supermen, supermen. They have to go through unimaginable series of training. In the end Spasmeni — the elite of mankind. And suddenly before you is this Flying Man — cosmonaut Vladimir N. Dezhurov.

The hero of Russia Dezhurova 52 years. Flew into space twice, in 1995 was the commander of the spaceship Soyuz TM-21, delivering a Russian-American crew on the station Mir. The flight was preparing for a nine (!) years. In 2001, he worked on the ISS. Preparation for this took six (!) years.

Astronaut Dezhurov, like most of his colleagues of the time — a fighter pilot. To the Americans in the NASA centre in Houston to share experiences travels frequently, but treats them with undisguised contempt. Them de and to fly into space after the rejection of the Shuttle not on anything, and "sanctions" we have them from the ISS can ask for. Preparation, they say, the astronauts not like this: we three thousand parachute jumps do not taking it with me to the station, and they take it, however, does not jump one. Yes, and training on the ground in the States is wrong. They are in the center of preparation of astronauts plywood decoration with stickers instead of nodes, and we have a fully functional copy of the ISS module Zvezda, where almost everything in orbit. The image of the Russian cosmonaut in a fur cap makes dezhurova grin: no no no, respect us, probably afraid, and European partners, NASA does not put a penny and if not wipes on their feet, then says through his lip. But the Russian — honor.

Dining table on the ISS — folding in several planes. Station astronauts move, grabbing the handrails, which are attached on all the walls, floor and ceiling. Sleeping crew members are vertically (in our sense), from the eldest to sleep there is a recess (pictured below left). Americans, for example, fall asleep anywhere, all clinging to the same rails at any point. From the models in our module trainer "Star" — is that a cardboard laptops, everything else works.

Goodbye Dezhurov told the story. They returned from the ISS on the Shuttle. Boarded in Houston, the astronauts are greeted with flowers, and our takes the elbow of the migration service of the Russian cosmonaut is not something that a U.S. visa, their passports are not. And locked them in a hotel with security. There they sat, while the diplomats of the Russian Federation does not hurry up and did their paperwork. Then our boys released, informing on TV as well migratiunii fight in large numbers from Russia, which is now in the States even through space climb. At Sheremetyevo airport waiting for the second surprise — our guards was surprised at the absence of a stamp about departure from Russia when there is the stamp about departure from the United States. In short, both laughter and a sin.

In the end, everyone got certificates signed by the authorities of the CPC certificate of attendance of the cosmonaut training Center. Vladimir chose the best, in his opinion, a child's drawing and was awarded my Fedora Legos. The other guys were worse, just the organizers encouraged the youngest. Dezhurov signed and drawings on the reverse side, and our certificates, so now have something else to be proud of.

Spacesuit astronaut is sewed to individual measures and costs about four million rubles. More expensive than the Jeep Cherokee! On the crossover, however, in space will not fly, but to get closer to the stars is possible — we have seen. The impression I got: the car is close to excellent, but overrated by marketers, the event is good, but also not without blemish: the tubes away from Moscow — not exotic, it is necessary to lay them in the tablet space maps. Well, at CTC any man need to get sure to easily study the amazing history of space exploration. And what do people think of the children?

Sofia Bolotova: "Liked history of astronaut launch rockets. Didn't like so long and so far to go. Remember the cool Souvenirs." Fedya Bolotov: "Like free food, beautiful scenery, good car. The bad thing is that violently shook on the roads and a long drive. Most impressed with the launching of rockets".

Everyone involved in the space program, heartily congratulate! With the holiday, the incredible Flying man!

Video this time — in the old format, without voice over and music. Just a real picture and sound from your phone, to the atmosphere. It's easier, easier to the inje-gun.

Constantine, Sophia and Theodore Bolotov,
Star city–Moscow.
Photo Drive and Jeep company.