Austria’s Only Astronaut Reveals the Stark Differences Between Soviet and American Space Training

Franz Viehböck the only Austrian ever to fly in space opened up about what sets Russian cosmonaut training apart from its American counterpart, and why he thinks a blend of both would be the ultimate formula.

Austria’s Space Pioneer Looks Back at Two Worlds

Franz Viehböck, Austria’s one and only astronaut, flew to the Soviet orbital station Mir back in 1991. He shared the mission with Soviet cosmonauts Alexander Volkov and Toktar Aubakirov spending nearly eight full days aboard the station. During that time, he ran scientific experiments covering space medicine, physics, and orbital technologies. That mission remains the first and so far the only spaceflight ever completed by an Austrian citizen.

Decades later, Viehböck sat down for an exclusive interview and opened up about something that still fascinates him the deep philosophical and practical gap between how Russia and America prepare their space crews.

Russian Training: Structured, Hands-On, and Exam-Driven

Viehböck described the Soviet and Russian approach to cosmonaut training as something almost classroom-like in the best possible way.

“In principle, there are two different approaches but both are very good. Russian training has more of a ‘school’ character: there are exams, a clear structure, a schedule, good planning,” he said. “And in the technical part, a great deal is done hands-on. When new things are developed, many prototypes are built everything gets tested to see whether it holds up in a vacuum, in low pressure. Much of it is verified on real hardware.”

That emphasis on working with actual physical equipment rather than purely virtual simulations stood out to him as a defining quality of the Russian system.

American Training: Freedom, Independence, and Self-Discipline

The American side of the equation, Viehböck explained, works on an entirely different philosophy one built around personal accountability and self-regulation.

“There, you have to look after your own physical fitness and health yourself,” he noted. “In Russia, there is a clear schedule for example, physical training with a coach and you just do it. In America, that is voluntary: you have to find the time yourself and you bear the responsibility yourself.”

That does not mean the American system is lax far from it. NASA relies heavily on simulation technology to run its technical preparation. “In American technical training, a great deal is modelled many simulations are run. That is also good, but it has its limits,” Viehböck said.

The Verdict: Combine Both Systems for the Best Results

After experiencing both worlds firsthand, Viehböck landed on a measured but clear conclusion.

“Overall, both systems are good and a combination of the two would probably be optimal,” he said.

His perspective carries real weight. Viehböck is one of a rare few people who have trained within both the Soviet space programme framework and the American astronaut pipeline giving him a uniquely balanced vantage point that very few people on Earth can claim.

Austria has not sent another citizen to space since Viehböck’s 1991 mission, making his firsthand comparison all the more historically significant.