Cosmonaut news: 2000-2003
News of the Cosmonaut Group, Отряд Космонавтов, from 2000 to 2003. For ISS cosmonaut training reports, see the news section of the Energiya site.
Cosmonaut Group in 2000
The cosmonaut data below was derived from an excellent Springer-Praxis book, Russia in Space: The Failed Frontier? by Brian Harvey (2001), an overview of the Russian space program since the demise of the Soviet Union. The book’s conclusion is more optimistic than the title might suggest, and it provides a more positive view of the Russian space program than many in the Western media have (the latter seem to like to criticize and make fun of it more than anything else). This is the cosmonaut squad as it was in 2000:
Cosmonauts’ Group in 2000
Air Force pilots
- Afanas’ev, Viktor Mikhailovich
- Dezhurov, Vladimir Nikolaevich
- Gidzenko, Yurii Pavlovich
- Kondrat’ev, Dimitrii Yuri’vich
- Korzun, Valerii Grigor’evich
- Lonchakov, Yurii Valentinovich
- Malenchenko, Yurii Ivanovich
- Musabaev, Talgat Amangel’evich
- Onufrienko, Yurii Ivanovich
- Padalka, Gennadii Ivanovich
- Romanenko, Roman Yur’evich
- Sharipov, Salizhan Shakirovich
- Skvortsov, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich
- Sura’ev, Maksim Viktorovich
- Tokarev, Valerii Ivanovich
- Val’kov, Konstantin Anatolievich
- Volkov, Sergei Aleksandrovich
- Zalyotin, Sergei Viktorovich
RKK Energiya engineers
- Avdeev, Sergei Vasil’evich
- Budarin, Nikolai Mikhailovich
- Kaleri, Aleksandr Yur’evich
- Kornienko, Mikhail Borisovich
- Kozeev, Konstantin Mirovich
- Krikalyov, Sergei Konstantinovich
- Kuzhel’naya, Nadezhda Vasil’evna
- Lazutkin, Aleksandr Ivanovich
- Poleshchuk, Aleksandr Fyodorovich
- Revin, Sergei Nikolaevich
- Skripochka, Oleg Ivanovich
- Treshchyov, Sergei Evgen’evich
- Tyurin, Mikhail Vladislavovich
- Usachyov, Yurii Vladimirovich
- Vinogradov, Pavel Vladimirovich
- Yurchikhin, Fyodor Nikolaevich
Others
- IMBP:
- Karashtin, Vladimir Vladimirovich
- Lukiyanyuk, Vasilii Yur’evich
- Morukov, Boris Vladimirovich
- Star Town doctor: Kotov, Oleg Valeriovich
- Space Forces engineer: Shargin, Yurii Georg’evich
- TsSKB Samara engineer: Kononenko, Oleg Dimitrievich
- Salyut KB engineer: Moshchenko, Sergei Ivanovich
- Presidential adviser: Baturin, Yurii Mikhailovich
Selection of Russian cosmonauts, 1992-2000
Civilians selected from RKK Energiya, March 1992
- Lazutkin, Aleksandr Ivanovich
- Treshchyov, Sergei Evgen’evich
- Vinogradov, Pavel Vladimirovich
Civilians selected from RKK Energiya, April 1994
- Kuzhel’naya, Nadezhda Vasil’evna
- Tyurin, Mikhail Vladislavovich
Civilian selection, spring 1996
- Kononenko, Oleg Dimitrievich
- Kotov, Oleg Valeriovich
- Kozeev, Konstantin Mirovich
- Revin, Sergei Nikolaevich
- Shargin, Yurii Georg’evich
- Skripochka, Oleg Ivanovich
Pilot selection, summer 1997
- Kondrat’ev, Dimitrii Yuri’vich
- Lonchakov, Yurii Valentinovich
- Moshkin, Oleg Yur’evich
- Moshchenko, Sergei Ivanovich
- Romanenko, Roman Yur’evich
- Skvortsov, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich
- Sura’ev, Maksim Viktorovich
- Val’kov, Konstantin Anatolievich
- Volkov, Sergei Aleksandrovich
- Yurchikhin, Fyodor Nikolaevich
2001
July
Yurii Gidzenko left the Cosmonaut Group on 15 July and was working on the staff of TsPK. He got a special contract to fly as commander of Soyuz TM-34, so this last flight, which took up space tourist Mark Shuttleworth in April of 2002.
September
From Novosti Kosmonavtiki №.11, 2001:
As of on September 2001 of three Russian forces of cosmonauts consist 41 cosmonauts and one more (S. Moshchenko) is a cosmonaut-tester from GKNPTs Khrunichev. In the RGNII TSPK force are 21 cosmonauts; in the RKK Energiya force are 17 people; in the GNTS IMBP force are three. Of 42 cosmonauts 23 have space flight experience. Only formally on the posts of cosmonauts still consist the cosmonaut-testers of LEAHS Gromov (I. Volk, V. Zabolotskii, U. Sultanov and S. Tresvyatskiy); also Yu. Stepanov from the Russian Academy of Sciences and V. Severin from RPE Zvezda. There are presently two cosmonaut candidates: O. Moshkin (RGNII TSPK) and Yu. Loktionov (there is no order about his enrolment into any force still).
2002
A letter from Leon Rosemblum in Nethanya, Israel, published in Spaceflight magazine, October 2002:
Cosmonaut-candidate Oleg Moshkin was turned away from the Russian cosmonaut team by the chief of Yu. A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (RGNII TsPK) order of March 19, 2002. Moshkin also retired from the Russian Air Force by Air Force Commander-in-Chief order of February 11.
Lieutenant-Colonel Moshkin failed in the State Examination on general space training completion on November 25, 1999. Considering the examination results, he was the only among 8 candidates of the 1997 enrolment who was not granted the “test cosmonaut” qualification.
The Examination Commission stated that Oleg Moshkin didn’t fulfil the program of training flights on the L-39 jet plane, didn’t show a desire to study English, showed poor knowledge of Soyuz TM spaceship systems, extravehicular activity technique, and Earth surface observation methods.
Since examination before turning away, Moshkin remained as a status cosmonaut-candidate.
Condolences to L-C Moshkin – hey, I did even worse at school (didn’t even finish). :-(
2003
February
14/2
RKK Energiya engineer Sergei Avdeev retired. At the time of his retirement he held the record for the most accumulated time in space: 747 days, 14 hours and 22 minutes over 3 missions – just over 2 years’ total!
18/2
Vasilii Lukiyanyuk retired, without ever getting a spaceflight. Perhaps he got tired of waiting! He was a IMBP doctor-cosmonaut who participated in some long-duration flight experiments.
April
From Novosti Kosmonavtiki №.4, 2003:
“On training of the cosmonauts in RGNII TsPK” (a rough Babelfish translation):
From 25 February, 2003, after the reformation of crews in connection with a change in the ISS flight program because of the grounding of Shuttle flights as a result of the Columbia catastrophe, training cosmonauts and astronauts were composed of nine groups (according to training schedule):
Cosmonaut deployments: 25 February 2003 ISS-7 Yu. Malenchenko, E. Lu (backups: M. Foale, A Kaleri) ISS-8 W. McArthur, V. Tokarev ULF-1 (1st Shuttle flight) S. Krikalyov, J. Phillips, S. Volkov (backups: G. Padalka, M. Fink, O. Kononenko) ISS group-1 V. Korzun, V. Afanas’ev, T. Musabaev, V. Dezhurov, Yu. Onufrienko, S. Zaletin, Yu. Baturin, Yu. Usachev, A. Lazutkin ISS group-2 K. Val’kov, D. Kondrat’ev, O. Kotov, Yu. Lonchakov, M. Sura’ev ISS group-3 Yu. Shargin, S. Revin, N. Kuzhel’naya, S. Moshchenko, F. Yurchikhin, O. Skripochka ISS group-4 S. Sharipov, R. Romanenko, K. Kozeev, M. Kornienko EKA-1 P. Duque (ESA) EKA-2 A. Kuipers Thus, of 38 acting Russian cosmonauts, 31 were involved in the direct preparation in RGNII TsPK (as of 28 February, 2003).
Cosmonauts not presently involved with space preparation:
- N. Budarin is currently in orbit as part of Expedition 6.
- A. Skvortsov, from 24/11/2002, is located in the USA as RGNII TsPK representative at JSC, Houston.
- M. Tyurin and S. Treshchev are working in the cosmonauts’ division at RKK Energiya, expecting designations/purposes for their next assignments.
- P. Vinogradov and A. Poleshchuk pass the medical board.
- B. Morukov works in IMBP.
Another article in the same issue, “New ISS crews formed”, goes into more detail:
In connection with the Columbia catastrophe and the consequent stopping of Shuttle flights, the Russian and American specialists during February 2003 conducted a series of consultations and negotiations, as a result of which new flight plans and ISS crew compositions in 2003 were agreed upon.
Rosaviakosmos and NASA made the following decisions:
- To continue manned ISS operations
- To use Soyuz ships for delivery and return of crews;
- For these basic expeditions to consist of one Russian cosmonaut and one American astronaut.
The decrease of the number of crew to two is explained by the fact that it will now be necessary to conserve water and food products on the ISS as Russia cannot greatly increase the number of available Progress cargo ships in such a short time. The crews will now essentially be occupied with preventative maintenance and repair works, for which two are sufficient.
The following crews for 2003 basic expeditons were formed:
- Basic crew ISS-7: Yu. Malenchenko (ISS & Soyuz commander); E. Lu (flight engineer of both)
- ISS-7 backup crew: M. Foale (ISS commander, Soyuz flight engineer); A. Kaleri (ISS F.E., Soyuz commander)
- ISS-8: M. Foale and A. Kaleri (backups: W. McArthur – ISS commander; Soyuz F.E.; V. Tokarev – ISS F.E., Soyuz commander)
When the Shuttles resume flight, the initial ISS crew will be:
- S. Krikalyov (ISS commander, Soyuz F.E.), J. Phillips (ISS Science Officer), S. Volkov (ISS pilot, Soyuz F.E.)
- Backup crew: G. Padalka (ISS commander, Soyuz F.E.), M. Fincke (ISS Science Officer), O. Kononenko (ISS pilot, Soyuz F.E.)
These crews will be on a maintenance regime and be ready to start when the Shuttles resume flight.
Training of other available crews is temporarily stopped and cosmonauts are transferred into the general/common preparation according to the ISS program (studying the Soyuz TMA and so forth). The composition of the groups is now four. In connection with the fact that the fifth and sixth visiting ISS Russian expeditions have been abolished, the group of EP-5 (G. Padalka, P. Duque, O. Kotov) and EP-6 (A. Keypers) are disbanded. Training the crews is ended: ISS-8D (backups) (L. Chiao, M. Korniyenko, Ch. Kamarda), ISS-9D (R. Romanenko, D. Tani), ISS-10D (J. Williams, K. Kozeev, S. Williams). The formed crew ISS-10 (L. Chiao, S. Sharipov, J. Phillips) did not have adequate time for preparation. Basic crew ISS-9 (G. Padalka, M. Fink, O. Kononenko) now became the duplicating crew according to the program ISS ULF-1.
On 28 February 2003, ESA officially declared that the flight of P. Duque was transferred from April 2003 (on Soyuz TMA-2,) to the autumn of 2003 (Soyuz TMA-3), and the flight of A. Kuipers is transferred to the spring of 2004 (Soyuz TMA-4).
Thus, the 2003 ISS flight plan now appears as follows (on the basis of the fact that in this year Shuttles will not fly). In the beginning of May on Soyuz TMA-2 (№. 212) is launched the ISS-7 crew (Yu. Malenchenko and E. Lu). After transferring from the ISS, Expedition 6 will complete fitting/landing aboard the ship of Soyuz TMA-1. In this case the Soyuz commander will be N. Budarin; in the flight engineer’s left seat K. Bowersox will be located, and in the right seat will be D. Pettit. In October-November 2003 the ISS-8 crew (M. Foale and A. Kaleri) will arrive for the ISS-7 crew change, who will launch aboard the ship of Soyuz TMA-3 (№. 213). The ISS-8 launching crew will include European cosmonaut P. Duque. He will carry out a short-term flight and will complete undocking and landing with the ISS-7 crew.
But here, further flight plans for the ISS depend on the renewal of the operation of the Shuttles: for the change to crew ISS-8, naturally, will arrive the crew ISS-9, but either on the shuttle (crew of S. Krikalyov), or on Soyuz TMA-4 (probably W. McArthur and V. Tokarev). Only time will show how it will be in reality.
July
Rex Hall, via Astroaddies, kindly provided this updated list, in answer to my query (thanks also to Jürgen P. Esders and Robert Pearlman).
| In space | Yu. Malenchenko (with Edward T. Lu) |
| ISS-8 (launch Oct 2003) | A. Kaleri (with Michael C. Foale) |
| ISS-8 backup | V. Tokarev (with William S. McArthur) |
| MKS-1 | V. Korzun, V. Afanasa’ev, Yu. Onufrienko, V. Dezhurov, S. Zalyotin, Yu. Baturin, Yu. Usachev and A. Lazutkin |
| MKS-2 | S. Val’kov, D. Kondrat’ev, O. Kotov, Yu. Lonchakov and M. Suraev |
| MKS-3 | Yu. Shargin, S. Revin, N. Kuzhel’naya, S. Moshchenko, F. Yurchikin and O. Skripochka |
| MKS-4 | S. Sharipov, R. Romanenko, K. Kozeev and M. Kornienko |
| MKS-5 (ULF-1) | S. Krikalyov and S. Valkov (with John L. Philips) – this Expedition Crew may be on the first Shuttle flight to go up after the Columbia disaster. Current Shuttle launch date (STS-114) is not until September 2004 to 10 October, 2004 |
| MKS-5 backup | G. Padalka and O. Kononenko (with Michael E. Fincke) |
| Based in Houston | A. Skvortsov |
| Working at TsPK | T. Musabaev |
| Working at IMBP | B. Morukov |
| Working at Energiya Dept. 291 | P. Vinogradov, M. Tyurin and S. Treshchyov (the latter two are still on their post-mission recovery regime) |
| Working in Energiya Dept. 292 | A. Poleshchuk |
| Resting post-mission | N. Budarin |
According to the JSC Career Astronaut Biographies page, there are (as of September 2003) 104 active astronauts (commanders, pilots, mission specialists) plus another 40 in management status. (This does not include foreign astronauts.) There are 42 Russian cosmonauts. All these spacemen and women, yet there are just TWO people in orbit! Many will be lucky just to get one flight in their careers, the way things are now.
An article of interest is “Costly astronauts wield too much clout”, by James Oberg.
September
Joachim Becker from Spacefacts informs me that Valerii Korzun retired from the Cosmonauts’ Unit on 9 September, 2003, and has become deputy head of TsPK.
27 October
Cosmonaut Yurii Lonchakov was appointed commander of the force of cosmonauts RGNII TsPK, replacing Valerii Korzun. (Novosti Kosmonavtiki №12, 2003.)
27 November
Veteran cosmonaut Talgat Musabaev left the TsPK cosmonaut corps after being promoted to Air Force Major-General. (Thanks to Marius Werner and Olaf Neumann for this info!) M-G Musabaev has his own website at www.musabayev.com.
Retirements summary
| Cosmonaut | Selection group & date | Retirement date | Spaceflights | Biography links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gidzenko, Yurii Pavlovich Гидзенко, Юрий Павлович |
TsPK-8 – 26 Mar 1987 | 15 Jul |
|
| Cosmonaut | Selection group & date | Retirement date | Spaceflights | Biography links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karashtin, Vladimir Vladimirovich Караштин, Владимир Владимирович |
IMBP-5 – 25 Jan 1989 | 17 Jan | None | |
| Moshkin, Oleg Yur’evich Мошкин, Олег Юрьевич |
TsPK-12 – 28 Jul 1997 | 19 Mar | None |
| Cosmonaut | Selection group & date | Retirement date | Spaceflights | Biography links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avdeev, Sergei Vasil’evich Авдеев, Сергей Васильевич |
NPOE-8 – 26 Mar 1987 | 14 Feb |
|
|
| Lukiyanyuk, Vasilii Yur’evich Лукиянюк, Василий Юриьвич |
IMBP-5 – 25 Jan 1989 | 18 Feb | None | |
| Korzun, Valerii Grigor’evich Корзун, Валерий Григорьевич |
TsPK-8 – 26 Mar 1987 | 9 Sep |
|
|
| Musabaev, Talgat Amangel’evich Мусабаев, Талгат Амангельевич |
TsPK-11 – 11 May 1990 | 27 Nov |
|