PUPILS from Abingdon were just one step away from blast-off to the stars when they spent four nights living in Russia's cosmonaut training school.

During half-term 11 boys from Abingdon School and 18 girls from St Helen and St Katharine School in the town visited the Russian Space Agency's Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre near Moscow.

The centre is the final training location for cosmonauts before they head into space and the pupils were just the second British group to have lived and worked there.

They spent four nights living in the Kosmonaut Hotel within the secure Star City complex under the constant guidance and instruction of former NASA astronaut Dr Mike Foale, who was born and raised in England.

He trained at the centre to pilot the Soyuz space capsule before he lived and worked on board the Soviet Union's Mir space station.

He told the youngsters about his life in space and they then took part in training exercises under his guidance.

Abingdon School physics teacher Jeremy Thomas accompanied the visit.

He said: "This was a truly unique experience for all the pupils.

"Having Mike Foale for the whole trip was a fantastic opportunity that has inspired most of them to consider future careers in space exploration."

Over the course of the four nights they spent at the centre pupils took part in training including Soyuz docking simulators and hands-on emergency evacuation and first aid procedures.

The most popular activity was survival training in the forest surrounding the complex where military experts taught them how to build shelters and signal fires to survive sub-zero temperatures until rescuers arrive following returning to Earth.

Abingdon School pupil Rory Buchanan said: "I had breakfast with an astronaut, was given a tour of a space station by an astronaut and was trained to dock a Soyuz by an astronaut, truly unbelievable."

Fellow pupil Patrick McCubbin, said: "Taking part in the Cosmonaut Leadership Experience was truly special, from activities on the Mir space station trainer, to docking the Soyuz spacecraft simulator, to learning how to build a shelter and signal fire in a snowy forest, every day was unique and extraordinary.

"To visit a place like Star City, and meet people like Dr Foale, is inspirational.

"I hope to take away from the trip the attitude of the people working on the space programme – everybody there is determined to always be improving, to aim high, be proactive, to work for each other as well as themselves."

The students also had time to visit Moscow's iconic sites, including Red Square and the Kremlin.