The cosmonaut could leave a few people
MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. Several experienced astronauts in the near future can leave the Russian cosmonaut corps as their own, and the state of health, reported TASS a source in the space industry.
“In addition to Gennady Padalka, who wrote a letter of resignation, the team of astronauts recently left another experienced astronaut who made three space flights, — Sergey Volkov. He’s also gone on their own”, — told the Agency interlocutor, adding that it is not excluded that in the near future for health reasons to leave the squad two other astronaut, and another one for the same reason, may be dismissed from training.
TASS has no official confirmation of this information.
Informed of their departure from the cosmonaut corps announced the record for total length of space flights Gennady Padalka.
His decision was motivated by the lack of prospects to go in the sixth space mission to set a record for the 1000-day stay in space. His score 878 days in space.
The change of generations
Head of the cosmonaut training Center cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov believes that changes in the cosmonaut, like any living organism, have occurred and will always occur. “Sooner or later, the astronauts have to leave the squad. Someone- due to the change of priorities in life, some for health reasons. And that, no matter how regrettable, it is a natural process,” he told TASS.
According to Lonchakov, some astronauts, who left the squad, remain in the CPA and pass on their experience to young colleagues. Among them — heads of departments of the Center Yuri Onufrienko and Valery Korzun, head of the youth educational center of salijan Sharipov, adviser to the head of the Centre Sergei Zaletin and Basil Tsibliev, Deputy head of the Center Yuri Malenchenko, the Deputy commander of the cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin.
“The care of every astronaut from the squad is a difficult decision not only for the astronaut, but for the CPC, for manned space flight. There was a time when the squad was fully stocked, there was a period when the squad for a long time “was not updated”. CTC now reached the stage when many astronauts go from the flight posts, the bulk being forced to do it for health reasons,” says Lonchakov.
A new generation of astronauts, he says, already soon will start to get assigned to crews. “The time has come when you should give way to the younger generation of astronauts, and the leadership of the state Corporation “Roscosmos” us full support in this”, — said the head of the CTC.
He recalled that this year Roscosmos and cosmonaut training center announced selection to the cosmonaut corps. According to the results by the end of 2017 it is planned to select six to eight people. “We are preparing to accept new candidates and hope that they will be able to learn from the experience of those astronauts who work in the Centre,” said Lonchakov.
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