News: 2009
Sergei news, articles and sightings for 2009.
January
Sergei still appears to be working for Energiya in some capacity.
14/1
Energiya photo-report: S.P. Korolyov RSC Energiya, Korolyov, Moscow region. Energiya representatives met with a delegation of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), led by Executive Director of the Federation, Philippe Willekens. Sergei can be seen in photos 11, 12, 13, 14.
15/1
Energiya photo-report: S.P. Korolyov RSC Energiya, Korolyov, Moscow region. A meeting and interviews between reporters from the Russian Gazette and space officials (including Sergei) to discuss the subject, “Manned Space Flight: What Kind of Reforms Does It Need?”. Sergei can be seen in photos 1, 2.
February
3/2
Energiya photo-report: TsNII RTC, the city of Saint-Petersburg – S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, the city of Korolev. On February 2, 2009, the State Research Center of Russia known as the Central Research Institute for Robotics and Cybernetics (TSNII RTC), the city of Saint-Petersburg, hosted the International Scientific Technical Seminar devoted to the Space-Purpose Robotic Systems: Experience, Problems, Solutions. Sergei (SC Energia’s Deputy General Designer) appears in photo 2. He also appears in this photo at the TsNII RTC site.
March
27/3
Sergei left the Cosmonauts’ Group of RSC Energiya.
April
1/4
A brief note in NK news №773 about Sergei’s latest assignment to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center:
1/4/2009 / 00:05 – Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev becomes the leader of the civil Astronauts Training Center
The head of the Center of the civilian astronauts will be pilot-cosmonaut Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalyov, who is currently the Deputy General Designer of RSC Energia. All necessary documents were signed this week, said the head of Roscosmos AN Perminov. It was reported by a source in the Russian space industry, says Cyber Security.
Official FKA/Russian Space Agency press release:
By the order of the head of the Russian Space Department, from 27 March 2009, the Hero of the Soviet Union № 97, the Hero of Russia (the Gold Star of the Hero №1) Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalyov, is appointed to the post of the chief of the Federal state budgetary establishment, the Yu. A. Gagarin Russian State Scientific-Research and Test Centre of Cosmonaut Training Research (RGNIITsPK) since 30 March of this year.
On 27 March, as communicated by a submitted statement, the 1st class instructor-cosmonaut-verifier of the Open Society RKK Energiya, and the assistant to the Open Society general designer of RKK Energiya, Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalyov, has been released from the position of the 1st class test instructor-cosmonaut, according to the order (№44 dated 27 March 2009) of the head of the Russian Space Agency.
He is the first civil head (Начальник) of the GCTC, which was transferred from the Russian Ministry of Defence to become an agency reporting to Roscosmos (Federal Space Agency). He was released from his duty as Instructor-Test-Cosmonaut 1st Class. He will begin his term in July 2009.
2-3/4
Sergei appears in some pre-launch photos at Baikonur in the NK gallery:
10/4
Sergei Krikalyov attended a meeting at the Kremlin between representatives of the Russian rocket and space industry, and the Russian President. Reports: Roskosmos, Kremlin.ru.
12/4
Roskosmos news: “ISS Crew Receives Congratulations on the Cosmonautics Day from the Earth”. Sergei appears in two of the photos.
Anatoly Perminov, Roscosmos Head, with the Heads of Roscosmos Directorates, Russian cosmonauts, leaders of the space industry, talked today with the ISS-19 crew today from Roscosmos Central Data Station.
Anatoly Perminov congratulated warmly ISS crew commander Hero of Russia Gennady Padalka, flight engineers Michael Barratt and Koichi Wakata, on the Cosmonautics Day.
It is a good tradition to congratulate cosmonauts on-board the station on April 12.
The session was also attended by mass media representatives.
27/4
Roskosmos news: “Anatoly Perminov, Head of the Federal Space Agency, Held a Meeting with GCTC Management”. Sergei appears in two of the photos.
June
23/6
From NK №790:
23/06/2009/10:09 The transfer of Star City to Roskosmos is complicated by the absence of documents
The transfer of Star City from the Russian Ministry of Defense to civil hands “is compounded by difficulties with the documents,” said the Chief of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Sergei Krikalev. Krikalev was appointed in late March and became the first civilian head of Star City.
“The transfer process is difficult, because the difficulties were more than expected,” he said.
In particular, this relates to the lack of necessary official documents for the land occupied by Star City. “It turned out that there were no papers present on this Earth, and lately, it has been found that Stalin had decreed in 1934 that the land be used for a military radio range,” said Krikalev.
According to him, the process of dismantling the old organization is to be completed by the end of June, but the process is difficult because of the restructuring of the Ministry of Defense and the lack of money. Krikalev believes that the difficulties “were accumulated by management over many years”.
25/6
From NK №790. Some of the computer translation I was unclear about:
25/06/2009 / 00:05 – An increase in the size of the ISS crew was planned after all modules were launched
The increase in the ISS crew was originally planned after the expansion of the Russian segment of the Station at the expense of docking with the Station of additional modules; however the quantity of cosmonauts already is now increased to six persons, and start of modules is planned for 2011, the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Chief, cosmonaut Sergey Krikalev, said.
“To tell the truth, I opposed increasing the Station crew while not adding more modules to the Russian segment,” said Krikalev. He added that they initially planned to launch an additional module, and possibly two, and then increase the number of people.
Now the launch dates of the modules has changed; they are scheduled for 2011. “But the increase in the number of crew has not happened.”
Responding to the question on whether or not the Station could cope with twice the crew, the agency interlocutor noted that there was “nothing unusual there”.
“Indeed there has been six people on board, and nine people. Moreover, the Station has increased in size, since four years ago, when I was in orbit, the Shuttle docked, and we had a lot on board. Now there has been added another European and the Japanese module, so there is more space,” said Krikalev.
He expressed regret that the Russian segment had not expanded.
“According to plans, the construction of the Russian segment, the [additional module] should have been there several years ago… The fact that [at the Station], there are now six people – it is not catastrophic, but the fact that the Russian segment has to cope with a greater number of people without increasing space – this presents some difficulty,” noted the cosmonaut.
According to him, it does not affect daily life in close quarters so much, but how the workplace is organized. “If we need our scientists to conduct experiments on this segment, there is not enough space. For daily life it is adequate,” he said.
July
1/7
Sergei officially takes over the leadership of Star City/TsPK. His photo is now on the GCTC front page.
19/7
“Russia still blue over moon landing”, MSNBC.com. Sergei is quoted on his opinion on Russia not managing to send cosmonauts to the Moon.
“Beginning with the first flight with a primitive capsule, and then getting to the moon, it was a great achievement for humanity,” Russian astronaut Sergei Krikalev said.
“Of course, we would have liked to see the first man on the moon be Soviet, Russian, but that’s life… Our own achievements were very many,” he told Associated Press Television News.
[…]
Russian space officials meanwhile still seem to be dreaming about winning the next stage of the space race. They keep talking in tantalizing terms about mounting a manned mission to Mars, although they say that would take at least another 20 years to get off the ground.
“I think this is fine. It’s like sports – at one stage one person wins, at another it’s somebody else,” said Krikalev.
September
11/9
Energiya photo-report: Sergei makes a presentation at a meeting of the Council of Chief Designers. He appears in photo 12.
15/9
Roskosmos news: “ ‘First Space Clown’ Shows Magic Tricks in Roskosmos”. Sergei appears in photos 1, 2, 4.
October
13/10
Sergei appears in the NK photo gallery «Послеполётная пресс-конференция членов экипажа МКС-20 в Звёздном городке» for the ISS-20 post-flight press conference: photos 5, 12.
19/10
Sergei appears in the NK photo gallery «Торжественная встреча членов экипажа МКС-20 в Звёздном городке» at the Star City welcome for ISS-20: photos 9, 48, 49, 50, 57, 59, 61, 64, 67, 68, 72, 81, 89, 90, 96
23/10
Interview with Sergei at Roskosmos site, on administrating Star City and transferring it from military from civilian control. No English translation available yet, though.
November
“Why does the Cosmos attract me?”, Russian Cosmos magazine, November 2009. An interview with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. He mentions Sergei Krikalyov as they both flew on STS-60 in 1994.
Then he shook hands with chief of training center for cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev. “Sergei! Remember how in the ninety fourth…in orbit…” “It was a good expedition and no mistake”, Krikalev smiled.
[…]
Q: Would you be willing to fly into space once again?
A: Yes, I really want to do it. I have flown four times, but it was long ago. I would fly with my friend Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev.
27/11
From NK №821:
At the new year on the ISS, the cosmonauts will meet without tangerines, but under a fir-tree
For the new year in 2010, the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is traditionally able to greet the number of crossed time zones many times, but without a tangerine and champagne under an artificial Christmas tree, the chief of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Sergei Krikalyov, told reporters. “Mandarins aboard the orbiting complex quickly go off, but there is even a Christmas tree at the Station. What is remarkable, it does not matter where it is put - on the floor or ceiling, the little animals and toys do not hang in weightlessness as on Earth, and and stick out and look every which way,” said Krikalev, himself greeting the New Year repeatedly when in orbit.
“Several times I had to celebrate the New Year in orbit. In addition to the obvious differences in context, it is noteworthy that the Space Station for a half hour crosses many time zones, so at the request of the holiday can be encountered many times: on Far East time, and Moscow and American, and Japanese,” the famed astronaut Russia shared his memories.
December
1/12
Energiya photo-report: Sergei attended the landing of Soyuz TMA-15, watching from TsUP (Moscow Mission Control). He appears in photos 2, 10.
4/12
Energiya photo report: Sergei attended the Council of the Chief Designers. He appears in photos 5, 13.
19/12
Energiya photo report: Sergei attended the State Commission for the launch of Soyuz TMA-17. He appears in photos 1, 6, 8, 9.
21/12
Sergei appears in the NK photo gallery, «Запуск космического корабля «Союз ТМА-17» » (Launch of Soyuz TMA-17); in photo 22.
28/12
Energiya photo report: On the eve of the coming 2010 New Year, Moscow Mission Control Center held the televised communication session with the International Space Station Prime Crew members working in orbit. Sergei appears in photos 2, 4, 5, 6.
