Cosmonaut trivia
Some bits and pieces of information about cosmonauts.
Call signs
Each Soyuz cosmonaut crew has a call-sign (позывной, pozyvnoi). These are a tradition from when crews were commanded by military/Air Force officers, and the signs were used for secrecy. This is no longer necessary, but the tradition continues (call-signs belong to the Russian commanders of the flights). From Mir Hardware Heritage:
Crew code names travel with the commander, and crew members take on the code name of the commander with whom they travel. For example, Helen Sharman returned to Earth in Soyuz TM-11 with commander Viktor Afanasyev (code name Derbent, «Дербент») and flight engineer Musa Manorov (Derbent Dva, «два, 2»). She thus became Derbent Tri, три (3) for her return to Earth. Sergei Krikalyov became Donbass Dva after Alexandr Volkov (code name Donbass, «Донбасс») replaced Artsebarski as his commander aboard Mir.
Crew formation
This information is derived from that posted by “Shams”/Шамс on the Novosti Kosmonavtki forum (4 January, 2004).
Crews are formed according to the following principles:
- Crews alternate between 2 Russians and 1 American, then 2 Americans and 1 Russian.
- Commanders of the Expeditions are alternatively a Russian cosmonaut, then an American astronaut. This has now changed a little with 2-person crews: S-8 and S-9 are commanded by Americans M. Foale and W. McArthur, respectively, but S-10 will be commanded by Russians G. Padalka then S-11 by S. Sharipov.
- Only experienced (previously flown into space) cosmonauts are assigned as Expedition commanders.
- Russian cosmonaut-testers consist of two groups (TsPK and RKKE); therefore those in charge try to assign crews evenly from both groups. The old rule that only military pilot-cosmonauts (from TsPK) could fly/command the Soyuz is no longer adhered to; cosmonaut-engineers from RKKE can be Soyuz commanders, also. (For example, in the crews S-12 and S-14 the TMA commanders are, correspondingly, Usachyov and Lazutkin).
- In crews where there are two cosmonauts assigned, one is flown, but another will be making his (or her) first flight. (With the ISS crews temporarily reduced to two, however, only experienced astronauts and cosmonauts are assigned as the ISS needs much maintenance.) Americans also adhere to this rule.
Emblem
A description of the Cosmonaut Group emblem, as described on the Space Encyclopedia Astronote, Космическая Энциклопедия ASTROnote, site – Эмблема отряда космонавтов России:
The emblem has the shape of a dual circle and is in the shape of a stylized spacecraft window or porthole. The top inscription reads: the “Cosmonaut Group”, below it: “Russia”. The edging and inscription are yellow; the cartouche is dark navy-blue. The inherent background of emblem is executed in the form of three spheres, which pass into space. The spheres symbolize by themselves the stages of the embodiment of the dream of humanity into the reality. The blue-colored lower sphere symbolizes mastery by man of its cradle, continents and oceans of the planet Earth. The medium-blue colored middle sphere symbolizes the mastery of the air and ocean. The dark blue colored upper sphere depicts the exit of man into the near-Earth outer space. The colors of spheres blend into the black background (or dark navy-blue), which is the symbol of the universe, space, infinity and unknown nature. Accomplishing flight beyond the limits of these spheres, man is torn away from his cradle and is heading for the stars.
The constellations of Ursa Major and Minor (large and small ladle), colored white, are superimposed against the emblem’s inherent background. The Pole star emits multiple rays. On the large ladle of the Pole star men determined the guiding thread of all original discoverers, travellers, researchers, explorers. All the basic coordinate systems, necessary during calculations of displacement both over the Earth, and in outer space, are focused on the Pole star.
Along the horizontal line of the emblem is placed the Latin inscription, also in white: “Per aspera ad astra” (“Through adversity to the stars!”) – the motto of the Russian Federation Cosmonaut Group.
The figure of the flying person occupies the central place in the emblem. He is sunlit (and is colored yellow) and he is facing the guiding star of humanity. The angle of the slope of body to the celestial axis composes 25°, or 65° relative to equatorial plane. Our compatriot Yurii Alekseevich Gagarin completed the first flight into space in the world on 12 April 1961, aboard the Vostok spacecraft. The angle of the orbit inclination composed 65°.
The emblem was developed in collaboration with the space center “Planet Earth”.
The emblem of the force of the cosmonauts of Russia was made official on 21 January, 2000, by the-then Rosaviakosmos Director-General Yu.N. Koptev. By this affirmation it provided that:
- The people who have the right to wear the patch with the emblem of the Russian Federation force of cosmonauts are the forces or groups of cosmonauts in the regular posts of cosmonaut-tester, cosmonaut-researcher, instructor of cosmonaut-tester, instructor-cosmonaut-researcher.
- The patch with the emblem of the Russian Federation force of cosmonauts can be placed on the service uniform, daily wear, training apparel, flight suits, and spacesuits.
- The patch with the emblem of the Russian Federation force of cosmonauts is sewn on the outer side of the right arm of clothing.
Flight training
Pilot-cosmonauts are required to keep up flight proficiency and the 70th Detach Air Wing (Special Destination, named after Vladimir Seregin) is the aircraft support group for the TsPK, Cosmonaut Training Center. It is located at Chkalovskii, Чкаловский air base outside of Moscow (Pos.: 55°52′07″N, 038° 03′07″E). The aircraft flown is the Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros, a well-regarded trainer. I don’t know how many flying hours the pilots get a week.
| Crew | 2 |
| Length of airplane | 12.13 m |
| Wing span | 9.12 m |
| Maximum take-off weight | 4700 kg |
| Maximum velocity | 760 km/h |
| Operational acceleration | + 8 g / −4 g |
| Engines | 1 × AI-25 |
| Thrust | 1 × 1722 kg |
Salary
How much do cosmonauts get paid? (“Not enough!” might be the reply.) I don’t have any definite answer, but found a couple of mentions, one being an extract from Russia in Space: The Failed Frontier? (Springer-Praxis, 2001).
The changes in the 1990s led to a significant alteration in the way in which cosmonauts were paid, one which amazed the Americans (and still does). American astronauts receive a standard military paycheck or, as civilians, a standard NASA one, regardless of whether they are on or off the planet. By contrast, following 1991, cosmonauts were put on an incentive system mimicking the worst practices of capitalism. Cosmonauts received a contract for each space mission, for which they were paid at a rate of $100 1 a day (civilians were paid $80). They got a bonus of $1000 for a spacewalk. If particular aspects of the mission were not accomplished, fines were applied afterwards and deducted from the contract. For some peculiar reason, a bonus was applied for carrying out a manual docking. From the moment it was introduced, cosmonauts unfailingly informed ground control, about 10 metres before a smooth automatic docking, that unspecified problems had arisen and they had urgently to take over manual control!
Cosmonauts’ pay was also mentioned in this 2000 article about the Expedition 1 Russian crews’ wives, “Olga Gidzenko and Elena Krikalyov: The Cosmonauts’ Wives Talk Space”:
Want to be rich in Russia? Don’t be a cosmonaut
While being a cosmonaut offers the prestige of being one of the few humans to leave the planet, monetary compensation for the job is a sour point for space flyers and their families.
“I don’t think that Yuri is… [getting] …decent compensation for his hellishly hard work,” said Olga Gidzenko. “I believe that he deserves more both morally and materially.“
Elena Krikalyov agrees. “People who took smaller risks and spent less effort than cosmonauts make much more money,” Elena said. “Russia currently does not have a fair salary hierarchy.”
…Yuri Gidzenkno’s monthly salary is $250. It is still much higher than of many [Air Force] officers in Star City who make about $100 per month. Prices in the City are a little bit lower though, and when Yuri is preparing for a mission he gets free meals.
Sergei Krikalyov’s salary at RKK Energiya is about the same.
Gidzenko’s eldest son, Sergei, is studying in a paid college. Almost half of Yuri’s salary is spent on his tuition.
“We are able to maintain decent way of life for our family thanks to the money which Yuri makes on contracts while flying in space,” said Olga.
The Gidzenkos live in a three-bedroom apartment supplied to them free by Star City authorities. Its total area is 700 square feet (65 square meters). Krikalyov’s family lives in a three-story townhouse approximately three times as big as the Gidzenkos’ apartment. It also includes a garage.
(1 The figures given are in U.S. dollars as the rouble – like the Australian dollar – is pegged against this, so both fluctuate depending upon the exchange rate.)
From a posting at CollectSpace.com, 27 October 2007:
I believe they have gotten rid of [the performance contract] system for ISS, mainly since the crews are so cosmonaut and astronaut integrated now with the commanders alternating between Russian and American.
Concerning the pay rates though, there is still a difference. If a cosmonaut is living in Star City and launches to the ISS on a Soyuz, he gets his normal cosmonaut pay. If he goes to Houston and flies into space on the shuttle, then his pay from what I have read goes up to the level that US trained astronauts make for the duration of his duties in the US.
Rehabilitation
In the Soviet era, cosmonauts were sent to resorts on the Black Sea as part of their postflight rehabilitation. This practice ended after the collapse of the USSR, so other options had to be found. For a while, the Canary Islands were chosed, as described in this article from Friends & Partners in Space in 2001:
Russia spacemen to undergo rehabilitation on Canary isles
Tuesday, June 05, 2001 8:00 a.m. EST
Madrid, Jun 05, 2001 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) – Russian spacefarers Talgat Musabayev and Yurii Baturin arrived in the Canary Islands to undergo their post-flight rehabilitation. They will recuperate under the observation of doctors on the island of Lanzarote, one of the most beautiful on “the archipelago of eternal spring”.
The autonomous government of the Canary Islands and the Moscow Medico-Biological Institute signed an agreement last year that Russian cosmonauts, returning from their missions, will undergo medical rehabilitation on the Canaries.
While drafting the agreement, the sides proceeded from the premise that the Canary Islands are not only a balmful climate but also top-class medical establishments which will help cosmonauts to recuperate fully their forces.
Russian cosmonauts Sergei Krikalyov and Yurii Gidzenko who spent two weeks on the island of Grand Canary, were the first to undergo recuperation there.
In the future, the Canary authorities are ready to receive cosmonauts from all countries, participating in the large-scale project of the International Space Station. (By Sergei Sereda)
See also “Cosmonauts head for the sun”.
After his Expedition 11 mission in 2005, Sergei Krikalyov said that he would spend part of his postflight rehabilitation in the spa city of Kislovodsk, Кисловодск, which lies in the North Caucasus region of Russia.
In October 2006 an agreement was signed between the Bashkiriya government prime minister Raphael Baydavletov and the chief of the Russian Yu.A. Gagarin Russian State Science Research Cosmonaut Training Centre (RGNII TsPK), Lieutenant-General Vasilii Tsibliev, for cosmonauts to conduct their rehabilitation at the Krasnousol’sk, «Красноусольск», sanatorium. Bashkortostan/Bashkiriya is a republic in the south of Russia, near the Ural Mountains.
According to Anik at NASASpaceflight.com, the cosmonauts can choose from a list of resorts which the GCTC has an agreement with.