Participants of Russia's first training program for entering the cosmonaut corps based at MAI are already preparing for the second stage of testing. This was announced in an interview with IA "TASS" by the head of the Y.A. Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center (TsPK im. Y.A. Gagarina, part of Roscosmos), Maxim Kharlamov.
According to him, about 70 people signed up for the country's first program for preliminary training of cosmonaut candidates. But it cannot be called "selection as cosmonaut candidates", rather it is "a preliminary stage of career guidance for students". Nevertheless, the selected contestants are expected in the spring of 2025 at the TsPK for the second stage of testing.
This includes some tests that cosmonauts undergo — testing of physiological capabilities, checking the ability to study new disciplines and to perform operator activities. Thus, those who want to get closer to space will understand what they need to improve in order to qualify for the title of professional cosmonauts in the future.
[...] In addition to the opportunity to pass the selection, they [cosmonaut candidates] must also meet other criteria: they must have certain professional experience, they must have worked at least three years in the industry. It is desirable that they have some special skills — for example, parachute jumps, scuba diving training, maybe some initial flight training. And that's what they will be guided on here at the TsPK, and then, in five or six years, we will be happy to wait for them to be selected. They will be understandable, familiar people to us, we will try to track their career and professional realization afterwards.
The latest addition to the family of Russian cosmonauts appeared in May 2024. Following the results of the fourth open selection to the cosmonaut corps, Anastasia Burchuladze, Elchin Vakhidov, Vladimir Vorozhko, and Alexander Zherebtsov were selected. They have been granted the status of cosmonaut candidates.
However, the newcomers are still far from the status of active cosmonauts. They will have to undergo a two-year initial general space training, which includes about 30-40 exams in various disciplines. Some of them are practical training sessions where you need to complete specific tasks. In general, it takes about six years to prepare one cosmonaut for flight.
Also, according to Kharlamov, a cosmonaut takes exams every time they are assigned to a new crew. This rule applies even if they have flight experience. Before each mission, a cosmonaut needs to pass about 20 exams.
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