January 11 marked the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Research and Testing Center (CPC, part of Roscosmos). During this time, about 400 cosmonauts have been trained at the CPC. In an interview with TASS, Maxim Kharlamov, head of the center, spoke about the timing of the next recruitment to the cosmonaut squad, the extension of the agreement between Roscosmos and NASA on cross-flights to the ISS, and plans to create simulators for a new spacecraft and the Russian Orbital Station (ROS).
— Thank you so much for agreeing to talk with us, Maxim Mikhailovich. The first question is historical. The Cosmonaut Training Center turns 65 years old. How many cosmonauts have been trained at the center for almost two thirds of a century?
— About 400 people. About 150 of them are foreign cosmonauts. And of these four hundred, 134 Soviet and Russian cosmonauts flew into space. Accordingly, this number includes those who were preparing, but for some reason did not fly into space.
— How is the CPC working today? What are the center's plans for 2025?
— First of all, our plans primarily depend on the flight program. That is, from the perspective of manned space exploration. And now the prospect is promising, because the creation is unfolding. At the Russian Space Station, work is underway on a new manned transport vehicle (PTK). By the way, we are already involved in this.
We are already creating a comprehensive PTK simulator. We work with By the Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, we will soon begin to create a simulator for the Russian orbital station. We already have a reserve for the simulator of at least one module.
Therefore, there is an interesting and ambitious program ahead. The center is facing great challenges. It is noteworthy that since recent times, CPC has become a developer of simulators in full from the point of view of engineering technology. To do this, it was necessary to accumulate a certain potential, qualifications and competencies of employees — we managed to do this.
— The head of the Roscosmos state corporation, Yuri Borisov, announced in the summer that all contracts that are planned during the renovation of the CPC had been concluded. Has the renovation already started? What kind of work is planned and in what time frame?
— The first stage has begun, it is mainly related to the development of project documentation. If we talk directly about renovation, there are three stages. The first stage is the creation of a sports and recreation complex, a dispensary, the second stage is the creation of a transport complex, and the third stage is the overhaul of the main buildings where employees are housed and work.
Design is currently underway in all three areas. We are already in the Glavgosexpertiza in two areas at the stage of obtaining a conclusion, and in one of the areas in the near future — maybe in January — we plan to go together with our co-executors to Glavgosexpertiza.
Work will begin as soon as Glavgosexpertiza gives us positive conclusions. We will start major repairs immediately, and work on the construction of the FOC and the transport complex will begin closer to spring, but it is construction.
— When do you expect Glavgosexpertiza to make a decision?
— If everything goes well, we will have to receive positive conclusions on the transport complex and major repairs in the near future. The documents from our side have been prepared. I am grateful that Glavgosexpertiza understands our questions. I hope that we will be able to pass this stage successfully, and then this year we will begin construction work directly.
— You mentioned that the center is currently conducting promising developments in the field of lunar and Martian missions. What is the main task in this work?
— We focus on ergonomics, on the safety of professional activity of an astronaut. These are the areas in which CPC is the leading organization in the industry, and these areas of research are priorities for us.
— Which of the listed areas of work do you consider the most promising?
— We pin our hopes for the future on good results in analyzing the possibilities of operational activities on the surface of the Moon and during long-range flights to Mars. And here we focus on the study of the operational activities of astronauts in spacesuits — during activities on the Moon, for example. We are working in manual dynamic modes, because we will need to land on the moon, then take off from the moon.
We are conducting relevant experiments, including jointly with the Institute of Biomedical Problems. For example, they recently ended the SIRIUS program, a year—long isolation experiment simulating a long-term flight, in which we actively participated. The crew commander was our employee. Being an instructor, a specialist in robotic systems, he performed an experiment related to the remote control of such systems. This is also the future: from the point of view of the professional activities of astronauts, much attention will be paid to robotic systems and on The Russian space station, and on the surface of the moon, too.
— In April, the CPC, together with MAI, launched the country's first pre-training program for cosmonaut candidates. According to the plan, the selection was supposed to begin in September. Has it passed yet?
— No, it has not passed yet, about 70 people have registered. Of course, this cannot be called a selection for cosmonaut candidates. This is rather a preliminary stage of students' career guidance. In order for them to take a closer look at themselves and project their dreams, aspirations for the profession of an astronaut, and only then consciously strive to participate in such selections. But we expect them to be the second stage at our center, and some elements of selection will also be carried out with them.
— When is the second stage expected?
— In the spring. In the first half of this year, the guys will be tested with us.
— What kind of tasks will they perform?
— Firstly, it will be testing in terms of physiological capabilities, that is, meeting the health requirements of astronauts — general physical fitness. We will also test their ability to learn new disciplines and work as operators. These are the main directions.
— In case of successful completion of the program, do you expect to see them at the next squad selections?
— I repeat, the goal of this program is to instill confidence in these guys that nothing is unattainable and if they really want to, they will be able to apply for positions as professional astronauts in the future. But for this, in addition to being able to qualify, they must also meet other criteria.: They must have some professional experience, and they must have worked in the industry for at least three years. It is desirable that they acquire some special skills, such as skydiving, light diving training, maybe some kind of initial flight training. And that's exactly what they will be guided to here at the CPC, and then, in five or six years, we will be happy to wait for them here for selection. They will be understandable and familiar people to us, and we will try to track their career and professional development later.
— According to the leadership of both Roscosmos and NASA, the signing of the next addendum to the agreement on cross-country flights is just around the corner ...
— It has already been signed, it applies to the next three flights. This program will be implemented in 2025-2026.
— Can you tell us which of our astronauts will be flying on Crew Dragon these years, and which astronauts will be training at the CPC?
— I can't tell you exactly yet, because there are no approved crews. Kirill Peskov is currently undergoing the next stage of preparation for the Dragon flight. And in the future, Oleg Platonov or Oleg Artemyev may be appointed, for example.
— Do you mean that they can fly on Dragon ships?
— Yes, on American ships. This may be Oleg Platonov, he is already undergoing introductory training. But the decision belongs to the Interdepartmental Commission.
— For example, Anna Kikina is among the crews that we have announced for the ISS for the next two years. Considering that she has already flown Crew Dragon once, what is the chance that she will fly it again? Are there more chances because she already has experience, or less because "let everyone try"?
— Of course, it's good to have a multi-faceted experience when an astronaut flew on several spacecraft. It's always better because he has the opportunity to compare, and in the future, maybe even give some recommendations in terms of managing promising ships. It's good when such experience accumulates.
But this is primarily determined by the flight program, the composition of the crew, the psychological interaction in the crew — many circumstances are being studied. There is also a professional and psychological commission at the center, which recommends optimal appointments for each cosmonaut, and its opinion is also taken into account.
The decision will be made based on the specific launch dates of the Russian and American ships. And I don't rule out that there won't be a repeat, because Anya Kikina, for example, is currently assigned to the Soyuz crew, and perhaps her next flight will take place on our ship as a flight engineer.
— You say "American ships". Do you mean that we can talk not only about SpaceX ships, but also, for example, about the Boeing Starliner?
— So far, astronauts are flying on Crew Dragon, but, of course, in the future, if the Boeing tests are successful, they will fly on them. One flight of their spacecraft is planned for 2026, but since this flight will be a test flight, the participation of a Russian cosmonaut is not expected. And in the future, if this ship receives a safety report, we will consider the issue of flights of our astronauts on it, if the program of cross-flights continues.
— Is the CPC currently training representatives of the space programs of other partner countries of Russia? Or maybe it's expected in the near future?
— All crews of the International Space Station are trained at the bases of partners participating in this program, including in Of Russia. Those who are assigned to flights on the ISS and Crew Dragon crews come to the center. Everyone has their own amount of training, depending on the functions.
— And if we are not talking about the ISS program, for example, the training of an astronaut from Venezuela? Or is it too early to talk about it?
— We did not plan any training for the representative of Venezuela. But the CPC can carry out such training at almost any moment — we have the relevant experience and knowledge, and therefore, if the task comes to train a foreign cosmonaut to perform a specific space flight or to train just some space specialists, then we can do it. But so far we have not had a substantive conversation about the training of Venezuelan representatives.
— In September, four newcomers began general space training at the CPC. How do their work is evaluated by specialists today, and how is the training going?
— So far, there are no critical questions about the results they show. The candidates are doing well. They've already passed six or seven exams, and they've passed them successfully.
— How many exams are there?
— Hundreds, if we are talking about all the stages of training — after all, an astronaut takes exams every time he is assigned to a new crew.
— And during the initial two-year general space training, which lasts for two years, how many exams do they have to take?
— About 30-40. And often this is not the usual exam format, when, sitting at a desk, a person writes answers to questions from a ticket, and then talks with the examiners. We have a minority of such exams, just like in pure theory, because we try to immediately build a bridge between theory and practice.
— In the fall of 2023, you said that new cosmonaut candidates would be offered a course on artificial intelligence, which would be within the framework of general space training. Are they already going through it?
— No, they are not taking it yet, but there really is such a course. He's already ready. Classes on it will begin approximately in the middle of this year. The course will be taught by cosmonaut Baturin Yuri Mikhailovich, who directly developed it. Artificial intelligence has the prospect of new tests and research, which is in high demand today.
— Is it still unknown when the next squad selection is expected? Will it be open or closed?
— There is no specific date, much depends on the manned flight program, which will be formed in the coming years. We can say preliminarily that at the beginning of 2026 we are ready to start recruiting with an eye to starting training new candidates in a year.
— Returning to the topic of simulators, you said a few years ago that in its final configuration, the PTK simulator should be completed a year before the manned launch. Does this goal remain?
- yes. We are currently creating a ship simulator for unmanned flight in the Soyuz spacecraft simulator room, but this is just a groundwork to quickly adapt it to manned flight. And then it will take a few improvements to bring it to a state similar to a manned spacecraft in terms of ergonomics and controls. And the task is to prepare this simulator in a year so that the astronauts can start working out the elements of the flight program.
— And in which gym is it planned to place a gym for children?
— Where we currently have simulators for the Russian segment of the ISS, we will build a comprehensive simulator for the Russian Space Station there.
— Will the layout remain the same — one complete complex?
— Yes, the complex. We will keep the approach, it will be a complex with general dispatching of trainings with a single computing center that will provide all simulators with standard models of space objects.
There will be a comprehensive simulator, as well as a simulator on which it is planned to practice manual ship control modes. We are also developing this simulator. Most likely, we will have it in the hall where the ship simulators are located.
— When are you planning to start creating ROS simulators?
— This year. We are starting a contract with Roscosmos to create simulators for the Russian Space Station.
— Will the Scientific Energy Module (NEM) become the first simulator module? When do you expect to complete its creation?
— Yes, NEM. Its launch is now scheduled for 2027. And in 2027, our simulators of the first modules will already be created.
— Is there any plans to modernize the hydrolaboratory in addition, taking into account the appearance of simulators for the Russian orbital Station?
— From the point of view of the facility itself, no, it is not planned, because the modernization of the hydro laboratory was recently completed. We are currently completing the creation of a test and training complex based on it. Inside this complex, of course, the hydraulic packages of the modules of the Russian Orbital Station will be used, and the platform itself, the control system itself, will not require modernization.
— Won't it be a problem that in a certain period of time we expect simultaneous operation of two stations? In other words, will it be possible to train to perform, for example, tasks of extravehicular activity (EAC) on one day on the ROS, and on the other on the Russian segment of the ISS?
— The hydrolab allows you to quickly change the composition of the modules that are in the water, on which astronauts train. If necessary, we will be able to train both the tasks of the Russian segment of the ISS and the tasks of the Russian Orbital Station in parallel.
— Earlier, the chief designer of the station, Vladimir Kozhevnikov, said that the CPC had handed over to RSC Energia, according to him, a list of cosmonauts who would be preparing for the first flight on the new ship. Tell us, who is on this list? Are we talking about the crew or such a general list of people who will be preparing?
— We are talking about the general list. So far, of course, we have not assigned any crews, because we need precise dates and arrangements for other programs, because experienced astronauts may be required at different stages of the ISS and Russian Space Station flight. Therefore, there is no talk of personal appointment for flights yet. But the group itself has already been identified, and these astronauts are primarily set up to accompany the creation of flight model products. Cosmonauts are now actively involved in evaluating the ergonomic characteristics of a product or to evaluate ways to organize an astronaut's activities inside the product.
And from the point of view of the group's composition, there are cosmonauts who flew to the ISS, for example, the commander of the detachment Oleg Kononenko. He's the most experienced cosmonaut in the squad right now. Alexey Ovchinin and Sergey Ryzhikov are also experienced cosmonauts. There are also astronauts there who may soon perform their first space flights. For example, Alexey Zubritsky, who is currently training in the crew of the Soyuz MS-27, is also in this group. We tried to make this group representative, so that there would be both experienced and promising astronauts.
— So, on the one hand, it's not a specific crew of, say, four people, but also not the whole squad?
— No, of course not. These are selected people who have the opportunity to accompany the development of the systems now, and people who, after completing the next flights, will have such an opportunity at subsequent stages.
— Last year, you spoke about the CPC branch at the Vostochny cosmodrome on the eve of the start of manned flights from it. How is the work on its creation going now?
— Legally, the branch has been established, we have our own office there. There are no employees yet, and it is planned to recruit them in 2025, because work is now beginning on the design of our complex at the Vostochny cosmodrome.
And from this moment on, it is necessary to involve the Cosmonaut Training Center more actively, since we are directly interested in the high-quality creation of this facility. Therefore, in 2024, the branch was established de jure, de facto in 2025 it will begin to function.
Ilya Vrubel
