News: 2008
Sergei news, articles and sightings for 2008.
January
Январь
29/1
“Russia may build new shuttle spacecraft by 2015”, RIA Novosti. Energiya’s spacecraft proposal (it has 6 projects, 2 of which it will submit to the Russian Space Agency in the near future) would likely have a lifting-body design and carry a crew of 6. More via Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №682: Sergei Krikalyov, Energiya’s deputy design project leader, is convinced that several different spacecraft designs will be required to realize Russia’s space projects. “It is not possible to create a ship which would equally be suitable for flights the Moon, Mars, and for the flights to near-Earth orbit. Therefore I do not exclude that not one manned ship will be built, but several,” emphasized the cosmonaut. He said the new ship will be constructed at the new spaceport.
February
Февраль
24/2
From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №687:
In Star City (Звездном городке, Zvezdni Gorodok) an exhibition was opened of the photographic works of airman-cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union and Hero of Russia Sergei Krikalyov with the symbolic name “Paintings of the Creator”. Our planet Earth is presented in an unusual perspective – from space. All photographs were taken from onboard the International Space Station.
March
Март
4/3
Novosti-Kosmonavtiki photo gallery: «Торжественное собрание в посольстве Чехии по случаю 30-летия первого пилотируемого полёта по программе «Интеркосмос» » (ceremonial meeting at the embassy of the Czech Republic on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the first manned flight program Intercosmos). Sergei appears in photos: 7, 28, 67, 69.
18/3
Energiya photo-report: “S.P. Korolyov RSC Energiya, Korolyov, Moscow region. The Chief Designers Board meeting At OAO S.P. Korolyov Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya, the Chief Designers Board meeting chaired by V.A. Lopota, the Corporation President, General Designer, took place. Among the issues under review were the following: current state of the International Space Station Russian Segment and going on with its mission Program implementation, progress in prelaunch processing of Soyuz TMA-12 transport manned space vehicle and final works phase, which Expedition 16 crew will perform.” Sergei appears in photo 13.
April
Апрель
7/4
Energiya photo-report: “Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolyov RSC Energiya A meeting of the State commission was held. Director of Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center V.V. Tsibliev reported about the crew readiness for the planned spaceflight. RSC Energiya President and General Designer V.A. Lopota reported about readiness of the Soyuz FG/Soyuz TMA-12 rocket-space complex for further prelaunch processing. The State commission approved the prime and backup crews for the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft and the ISS-17 and also a decision was adopted to continue preparation of the Soyuz-FG/Soyuz TMA-12 rocket-space complex for fueling and launch at the set time on April 8, 2008, namely at 15 hr. 16 min Moscow time.” Sergei appears in photos 7, 8, 11.
8/4
Novosti-Kosmonavtiki photo gallery: Запуск «Союза ТМА-12» (Launch of Soyuz TMA-12). Sergei appears in photo 66, 69 (top of his head!), 71 (next to cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov).
10/4
«Космонавты могут снимать более качественно, чем спутники – Крикалев», RIA Novosti.
Cosmonauts can photograph better than satellites, says Krikalyov
A skilled cosmonaut onboard the International Space Station can make a photo of the surface of the Earth, of a quality comparable to the pictures received from satellites that cost hundred millions of dollars; besides he, unlike the automatic device, can analyze a situation and make pictures at the appropriate angles, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov considers.
Krikalyov, the record-holder for the total duration of flights on the Mir space station and the ISS, presented on Thursday an exhibition of photos from space, as part of the Institute of Space Research (IKI) exhibition “Science on the ISS Russian segment”.
“NASA experts expected that from a camera in a manual mode with a telephoto lens from board the ISS, the pictures would turn out with a resolution worse than 15 meters. However the photos taken through windows have shown, after a careful studying of the ground, that separate pictures are obtained with a resolution of 10 meters, and with using the nadir (a point opposite to zenith) – about 5 meters,” said Krikalyov, answering a question from RIA News.
He explained that automatic satellites cannot replace a person as some Earth sites are often overcast above, and only a person can – having analyzed real-time conditions – take pictures at the correct angle.
“Even NASA experts say that they are reconsidering their attitude to the photos taken in a manual mode by cosmonauts. Earlier they relied only on photos from satellites,” the cosmonaut said. He also said that with the advent of new digital technology on board the ISS may enable things previously inaccessible. “For example, Polar Lights [aurora] from space appeared recently, and I am confident that no one else has done such imagery,” said the cosmonaut.
Six-flight veteran Krikalyov said that he took both art photography, and images on behalf of the Roscosmos and NASA. He used film at first, then Nikon digital cameras with a 400-millimetre telephoto lens and an extender.
16/4
Sergei was unable to attend the Autographica 11 in England because (according to this forum post) he and Valerii Tokarev were unable to get a Visa granted by the British Government! Don’t know why (one speculation here); possibly something to do with rather strained relations between the Russian and British governments. Stupid politicians (on both sides).
July
Июль
6/7
The biography at Astronaut.ru notes that Sergei is on the future ISS flights list again:
In 2008, Sergei has tentatively been named as part of the backup crew of ISS-21A – he will backup Aleksandr Kaleri. According to these plans, the prime crew will launch on Soyuz TMA-18 in March 2010. This will be the first flight of a new modification of the Soyuz-TMA spaceship (700 – Series 1).
9-10/7
“Living and working on the Space Station”: features a video (157 MB) of a panel involving ISS crew members (including Sergei!) at the symposium “Celebrating Ten Years of the International Space Station” organized by the International Astronautical Federation. (Thanks to Pat for link!)
13/7
Blog entry, in French: “Pendant que le choeur est en vacances” (While the choir is on vacation), by Olga Roudakova. (Thanks to Pat for link!)
Olga Roudakova is accompanied by cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov, during the international days of Astronautics of Unesco (9 and 10 July 2008). Sergei Krikalyov (or Krikaliov) is the man who had spent many days in space: 809 days spread over six missions. He is also the only person in the world who has ever changed nationality in space. Indeed, he left for an orbital stays with Soviet nationality, and returned with Russian citizenship, as the USSR had disintegrated in flight; his flight to him, Krikalyov…
In the political embarrassment that followed, the decision on his return to Earth was postponed for five months. For the five months of confinement in space (bringing the total duration of its mission to ten consecutive months), Sergei was gratified a premium of 150 000 rubles, or less than 1200 euros.
30/7
Sergei was awarded another medal: Order of the Pride of Russia, ордена «Гордость России». From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №721:
On June 30, in the GlavUPDK Cultural Center (Культурный Центр ГлавУПДК) in the Moscow District of Russia, there took place the 11th solemn ceremony of the presentation of the highest Russian Federation public reward: the Order “Pride of Russia”. The reward is given for the highest professionalism and dedication, genuine charity and selfless love for the motherland. One of the Order of Knights is the pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union and the Hero of Russia, Sergei Krikalyov.
August
Август
27/8
Sergei turns 50 today! С днём рожденья, Сергей! I wonder what he will achieve in his next half-century?
From Novosti Kosmonavtiki news №724:
28/08/2008/00:09 – The President of Russia, D.A. Medvedev, congratulated the pilot-cosmonaut S.K. Krikalyov on his 50th birthday
On 27 August the President of Russia, Dmitrii Medvedev, congratulated pilot-astronaut and deputy chief designer of Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya, Sergei Krikalyov, on his 50th birthday.
“You are deservedly considered one of the record holders among cosmonauts for the total length of time spent in orbit,” Mr. Medvedev said in his telegram. “Your truly heroic biography is an outstanding example of courage, strength of will and firmness of character. Your competence, organisational talents and professional and personal qualities have earned the deserved respect of your colleagues and friends.”
From the Energiya website:
August 28, 2008. S.P.Korolyov RSC Energiya, Korolyov, Moscow region.
An S.P. Korolyov RSC Energiya deputy general designer, instructor-cosmonaut-tester, 1st Class, Hero of the Soviet Union and of the Russian Federation, Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalyov turned 50 on August 27, 2008.
The President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev sent him a congratulatory telegram, which, among other things, says: “You are rightfully considered one of the record-breakers among active cosmonauts with regard to the total duration of your orbital missions. Your truly heroic biography became an outstanding example of courage, will-power and fortitude. Your competence, managerial ability, professional and personal qualities earned you a due respect of your colleagues and friends” (news on the web site of the Russian President www.kremlin.ru).
On this significant day, S.K. Krikalyov was congratulated by Governor of St.Petersburg V.I. Matvienko, heads of the Federal Space Agency, management and staff of the S.P. Korolyov Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya, representatives of various companies and organizations in the Russian space industry and Russian Academy of Sciences, including the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Head of the town of Korolyov A.F. Morozenko, S.P. Korolyov RSC Energiya cosmonaut team, NASA representatives, friends and colleagues.
Dear Sergei Konstantinovich!
The management and staff of the S.P. Korolyov Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya heartily congratulate you on this significant day of your 50th anniversary!
Upon graduating with honors from the Leningrad Mechanical Institute in 1981, you took a job with the world-known Korolyov’s company, where you have been working for more than a quarter of a century now, having risen through the ranks from an engineer to a deputy general designer.
You worked on developing manuals for cosmonauts, proposals on displaying operator’s data on consoles of the Mir space station, updating the on-board documentation of the Salyut-7 space station. You worked at the Mission Control Center during several long-term missions. After communication was lost with Salyut-7 in 1985, you, as a member of a “ground crew”, took part in developing various options for procedures of flying and docking with the uncontrollable space station. Afterwards, this operation was successfully performed for the first time in history! The same year you joined the team of cosmonauts of NPO Energiya. You were training yourself and were taking an active part in training cosmonauts at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and at Baikonur.
You have accomplished six space missions to the muti-modular space station Mir, the unique creation of the 20th century, and the International Space Station, an ambitious international project of the 21st century, during which hundreds of sessions of scientific and applied research experiments were carried out, providing invaluable results for Russian and world science. And your pictures taken in space are the envy of any professional photographer!
Special milestones in your career are the activities on the International Space Station. Three times you worked onboard the station, and each of these missions was unique in its own way. The first mission was the first manned mission under the International Space Station assembly program, in the course of which US Node 1 module was docked to the Functional Cargo Module Zarya. Together with Space Shuttle Commander R. Cabana, you were the first to open the hatch leading to ISS. The second mission was under the program of the first expedition to ISS (ISS-1). It started the continuous operation of the ISS. You were the first to make habitable the Service Module Zvezda and Functional Cargo Module Zarya, and, later on, the Laboratory Module Destiny, and started scientific research under Russian and US programs. In the third mission you set up the absolute world record for the total space flight endurance of 803 days, which remains unbroken by any other nation in the world!
For the courage and heroism displayed during your missions into space, you were given titles of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Hero of the Russian Federation, and awarded both Russian and foreign orders and medals. You are an honorary citizen of St. Petersburg. Your energy, commitment and perseverance in achieving your goal, high professionalism and erudition, communication skills and kindness towards people earned you due respect among your Russian colleagues and foreign partners. Everybody also knows about your achievements in sports: you have learned to fly several types of airplanes, including a foreign airplane, and you won prizes several times at the USSR, Europe and world championships.
On this great day, dear Sergei Konstantinovich, please accept our heartfelt wishes of good health, happiness and prosperity to you and your relatives, of new creative successes and luck in the course of flight design tests and operation of the rocket and space hardware for the sake of strengthening the power and prosperity of Russia.
– President, General Designer V.A. Lopota
October
Октябрь
6/10
Sergei quoted in an Aviation Week article at the 59th International Astronautical Congress:
Space Crew Conflicts Not Expected
By Frank Morring, Jr./Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
GLASGOW, Scotland – Sergei Krikalev, the Russian cosmonaut who holds the record for time spent in space, says he doesn’t expect crew conflict to be a major problem on long-duration exploration missions, including 30-month trips to Mars and back.
“I think for a mission like a Mars mission, motivation is going to be so high, if you know it’s so important, everything will be done to do your job the best way,” Krikalev told a questioner at the 59th International Astronautical Congress here Oct. 3. He has logged 803 days, nine hours, 39 minutes in space.
“From a psychological point of view, I don’t see a big problem, especially if you are going to have a very extended scientific mission,” he said. “You have plenty of things to do, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Asked about disagreements in which one astronaut might consider another’s approach to a problem “stupid,” Krikalev drew applause from the audience when he said “the way we do it in Russian space program, U.S. space program, the European program, we don’t have stupid people in our programs.”
The Russian cosmonaut, now a vice president of RSC Energia, said he was never severely troubled by conflict with a crewmate during two stays on the Mir orbital station – one for 10 months in 1992-93 – and two on the International Space Station.
“Crew selection is going to be important, of course,” he said. “Maybe I was just lucky to fly with good partners. I haven’t felt the urge to go back home sooner because it’s difficult for me to stay with this partner. Maybe I was just lucky, but I think we can learn how to make crew selection for going to Mars.”
Krikalev and other experts in a panel discussion on human space exploration said Mars is probably the outer limit of human exploration with the expectation of a return to Earth. But he predicted there will be “no limits” on humanity’s ability to live off the planet Earth, if they are willing to settle there. Eventually humans will reproduce in space, he suggested in response to a question, although the first off-planet birth is probably in the distant future.
“Birth outside the Earth can happen when we are comfortable there,” Krikalev said. “Still, all these exploration missions are going to something that is dangerous and unknown, so to put someone else there who is not making a decision to be part of this adventure is not feasible right now. As soon as we are going to be comfortable living outside the Earth, then it might happen.”
That moment will come, he said, when humans have spent enough time in space to know how to live there. While robotic spacecraft are valuable in paving the way for human explorers, ultimately “to learn how to live, you have to live there.”
24/10
Energiya photo-report: “MCC-M – S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, Korolev. Soyuz TMA-12 descent vehicle landing At 7:36, Moscow Time, Soyuz TMA-12 descent vehicle returned to Earth. Russian cosmonauts S. Volkov and O. Kononenko have completed their flight under the program of Expedition 17 to the International Space Station (ISS-17), and a spaceflight participant, US citizen R. Garriott has completed his flight under the program of the visiting mission 15.” Sergei appears in photo 2.
