The Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Region is actively involved in the implementation of the Russian space program. Work is underway to create an infrastructure to ensure manned launches. It is from this cosmodrome that it is planned to launch the future Russian Orbital Station (ROS) into orbit. In 2024, construction of a branch of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (CPC) will begin there. Maxim Kharlamov, the head of the CPC, told TASS in an interview about the equipment of the branch and the completion dates.
— Maxim Mikhailovich, the CPC branch at the Vostochny cosmodrome was planned to open before the end of 2023. When will the center start working in full?
— Speaking de jure, the branch is already working. The CPC already has an office on the East, located in a residential building of Tsiolkovsky (a city near the cosmodrome — approx. TASS). In addition to the branch at Baikonur, the charter of the center now includes a branch at the Vostochny cosmodrome. The opening of the office will happen when we take the first employee there. This will happen next year and will depend on the start of preparation for the development of requirements for the design of a hotel for astronauts on the East. The land plot for the construction of the hotel has already been allocated and is under the operational management of the CPC. We are waiting for a decision on the procedure and sources of financing. Because all this will be funded either as part of the ROS project or as part of the creation of a promising manned transport vehicle (PTK). This issue will be resolved in 2024.
As for the timing of the completion of work on the creation of a pre-flight training complex for astronauts at the Vostochny cosmodrome in full, it is planned that construction work should be completed in early 2028. Maybe during the first or second quarter, so that by the end of 2028 this complex will be fully equipped.
— What is the reason for the need to create a branch of the CPC in the Far East?
— The branch is necessary because manned launches will take place from the Vostochny cosmodrome in the future. Astronauts should have a permanent place of residence where they will prepare for flights and undergo pre-launch training. For example, survival training in climatic and geographical zones directly in the conditions of the cosmodrome that exist there in the autumn-winter period. We plan to conduct such trainings on the basis of our branch.
— Which zones and segments will be part of the new branch? What area will house the infrastructure of the complex?
— The area is known and is 14 hectares. As for the components, we did not invent anything and laid the basis for the ideology of the CPC complex at the Baikonur cosmodrome. The only thing is, from the point of view of ensuring a more effective sanitary and epidemiological regime and a more comfortable stay of the task force, these objects at the Vostochny cosmodrome will be placed a little differently.
The complex will include a residential area: rooms where crews and employees who support their activities will live. An administrative zone will also be created where the complex will be managed, as well as the management of the pre-launch crew training stage at the cosmodrome. The project also includes a technical area where garages for equipment will be located. In addition, there is a training area where simulators will be located.
— Will the CPC branch in Vostochny be a kind of analogue of Star City?
— No, the pre-launch training complex on Vostochny will not be an analogue of Star City, and there is no need for this. Cosmonauts will continue to undergo basic training in Star City, and they will stay on Vostochny only during pre-launch training.
— Please tell us more about the technical training facilities that the branch will be equipped with.
— In particular, there will be simulators to maintain the skills of manual control modes — for example, a docking simulator. In addition, the branch will be equipped with medical simulators: these are orthostoles, vestibular chairs, medical equipment for physiological monitoring of the astronauts' health status. A sports town will also be created to maintain the physical tone of astronauts.
In addition, as I have already mentioned, the complex will have simulators for practicing the survival of astronauts. Survival training is supposed to be conducted outside the framework of preparation for launches. The CPC will purposefully send astronauts there, who, as part of conditional crews, will work out the elements of survival in the event of an emergency landing in a wooded area, for example, in winter.
— Are there plans to place simulators for ROS in the East?
— There is no need to make a simulator for ROS at the Vostochny cosmodrome, because we have a concept for creating complex simulators. These are multifunctional simulators that allow an astronaut to practice various elements of the flight program in different areas for a long time — for example, throughout the working day. It makes no sense to carry such simulators and place them on the East Coast.
As part of the creation of cosmonaut training facilities in Star City, we will create a virtual simulator for the ROS. This is a visualization of the internal and external layout of the complex. This is the kind of simulator that will probably be on the East Coast. But, as a rule, it is created on wearable laptops. We carry the same simulator in manual control modes — on computers, but with standard control knobs. We plan to keep this approach.
— Has the ROS simulator appeared in Star City yet?
— At the moment, the technical specification for this simulator has not been developed. Everything will depend on the form in which the vision for the station itself will be formulated. When the preliminary design of the ROS is completed, the concept of the station and the technical solutions for its creation as a whole are approved, then we will start developing simulators.
— It was reported that 12 cosmonauts will be able to train at the same time at the CPC branch in Vostochny. Why exactly 12?
— This figure was due to the possible number of astronauts in different versions of a promising transport ship. For example, it was discussed that four cosmonauts would be able to fly on the PTK. Therefore, we assumed that the main, backup, and reserve crews would be trained at the branch. This is one of the reasons. The second reason is that, as a rule, when we purposefully carry astronauts to prepare for survival in various climatic and geographical zones, the group consists of up to 12 people. This is a conditional figure, there will be more rooms for living on the East. Let's say that now an operational group consisting of more than 30 people usually leaves for the Baikonur cosmodrome along with the crews. So conditions on the East Coast will be provided for everyone.
— Who will head the new branch?
— We don't know yet. Let's think about it. Maybe we will consider connecting someone from among those employees who work at Baikonur in order to smoothly transfer the experience. We are discussing this in a working manner. The CPC branch on Vostochny is an interesting project, an interesting task. I have no doubt that we will find a worthy candidate.
— Are there any plans to cooperate with foreign countries in order to train foreigners in the East?
— Such a task is not worth it, it is still outside our competence. If international flights are carried out, this will automatically mean that international crews will work and live at the base of our branch.