Alexey Ovchinin, Hero of the Russian Federation. Astronaut Alexey Ovchinin and Astronaut Nick Hague are being monitored by doctors Preparing for a space flight
Alexey Nikolaevich Ovchinin(born September 28) - Russian cosmonaut-tester of the cosmonaut corps of Roscosmos. 120th cosmonaut of the USSR / Russia and 547th cosmonaut of the world. Prior to joining the cosmonaut corps, he served as the commander of the aviation link of the 70th Separate Testing Special Purpose Aviation Regiment (OITAPON) named after V.S.
He made a space flight on the Soyuz TMA-20M manned transport spacecraft in March-September 2016 to the International Space Station. Member of the main space expeditions ISS-47 / ISS-48. The flight duration was 172 days 03 hours 47 minutes 15 seconds.
Education
Graduated from high school number 2 and music school(piano class) in the city of Rybinsk. He was engaged in the Rybinsk flying club.
From August 1988 to September 1990 he was a cadet of the Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots, from September 1990 to August 1992 he was a cadet, after which he received the qualification “pilot-engineer”.
In 2012 he entered the Faculty of State and Municipal Administration of the Vladimir branch of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
experience
From August 1992 to February 1998 he served as an instructor pilot of the training aviation regiment (UAP) of the Yeisk Air Force Academy in Bataysk.
From February 1998 to September 2003 - pilot-instructor, then the commander of the aviation unit of the UAP of the Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute (VAI) in Kotelnikovo (Volgograd Region).
From September 2003 until he was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps, he served as the commander of the aviation unit of the 70th Separate Testing Special Purpose Aviation Regiment (OITAPON) named after V.S.
Pilot-instructor of the 2nd class. He mastered the Yak-52 and L-39 aircraft. The total flight time is over 1300 hours.
By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation in 2012, he was dismissed from the Armed Forces to the reserve. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel of the Reserve.
Preparing for space flights
October 11, 2006 - at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission for the selection of cosmonauts, he was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps to undergo general space training (OKP).
On June 9, 2009, he was awarded the qualification "test cosmonaut" and awarded the cosmonaut certificate No. 205.
On August 1, 2009, he was appointed to the post of test cosmonaut of the CTC detachment.
In October 2009, at the Baikonur cosmodrome, he took part in training in the Small Research Module (MIM).
On April 26, 2010 he was certified as a cosmonaut in the group of the Yu.A. Gagarin Research Institute of CTC.
He has the class qualifications of a pilot-instructor of the 2nd class, a paratrooper-instructor, an officer-diver.
In September 2013 he took part in the Caves mission in caves on the island of Sardinia (Italy), during which five astronauts and cosmonauts from various space agencies worked in a multicultural and multinational team in extreme conditions underground.
He was trained as part of the backup crew of the Soyuz TMA-16M TPK, which was launched on March 27, 2015, and is currently undergoing training as the commander of the main crew of the Soyuz MS-01 TPK, the launch of which is scheduled for March 30, 2016.
In the fall of 2015, Alexey Ovchinin took part in the tasting of various dishes intended for astronauts on board the ISS at the CTC. Together with cosmonaut Skripochka, they tasted 160 dishes for eight days. For one meal, the cosmonauts tried about 20 types of dishes at once. The food was rated on a 9-point scale. At the same time, the caloric content of the main part of the daily diet for cosmonauts is 2 thousand kilocalories.
The first flight
Launched on March 19, 2016 aboard the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft as a crew commander together with flight engineers Oleg Skripochka and Jeffrey Williams. The ship on the same day successfully docked with the ISS.
On September 7, 2016, the Soyuz TMA-20M landing vehicle landed 147 km southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan. The flight duration was 172 days 03 hours 47 minutes 15 seconds.
OVCHININ Alexey Nikolaevich - test cosmonaut. Hero of the Russian Federation (2017). Honorary Citizen of the city of Rybinsk (2017).
Alexey Ovchinin was born on September 28, 1971 in the city of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region. He graduated from Rybinsk secondary school No. 2 and a music school (piano class). He was engaged in the Rybinsk flying club.
Since August 1988 - cadet of the Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation Pilot School; from September 1990 - a cadet of the Yeisk Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots, after which he received the qualification "pilot-engineer".
Since August 1992, he served as an instructor pilot in the training aviation regiment of the Yeisk Higher Military Aviation Pilot School in Bataysk.
Since February 1998 - pilot-instructor, then the commander of the aviation link of the training aviation regiment of the Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute in Kotelnikovo (Volgograd Region).
From September 2003 and before being enrolled in the cosmonaut corps, he served as the commander of the aviation unit of the 70th Separate Test Training Aviation Regiment of Special Purpose named after V.S.Seregin, RGNII TsPK (Chkalovsky settlement, Moscow Military District).
He mastered the Yak-52 and L-39 aircraft. The total flight time is over 1300 hours.
On October 11, 2006, at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission for the Selection of Cosmonauts, he was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps to undergo general space training.
On June 9, 2009, he was awarded the qualification "test cosmonaut" and was presented with the cosmonaut certificate No. 205. On August 1, 2009, he was appointed to the post of test cosmonaut of the CTC detachment.
On April 26, 2010 he was certified as a cosmonaut in the group of the Yu.A. Gagarin Research Institute of CTC.
He has the class qualifications of a pilot-instructor of the 2nd class, a paratrooper-instructor, an officer-diver.
By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation in 2012, he was dismissed from the Armed Forces to the reserve. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel of the Reserve.
In 2012 he entered the Faculty of State and Municipal Administration of the Vladimir branch Russian Academy national economy and public service.
In September 2013 he took part in the Caves mission in caves on the island of Sardinia (Italy), during which five astronauts and cosmonauts from various space agencies worked in a multicultural and multinational team in extreme conditions underground.
He was trained as part of the backup crew of the Soyuz TMA-16M TPK, which was launched on March 27, 2015, and was trained as the commander of the main crew of the Soyuz MS-01 TPK.
On March 19, 2016 he took off on the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft as a crew commander together with flight engineers Oleg Skripochka and Jeffrey Williams. The ship on the same day successfully docked with the ISS.
On September 7, 2016, the Soyuz TMA-20M landing vehicle landed 147 km southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan. The flight duration was 172 days 03 hours 47 minutes 15 seconds.
Alexey Ovchinin is the 120th Soviet / Russian cosmonaut and the 547th world cosmonaut.
For courage and heroism shown during a long space flight on the International Space Station, A.N. Ovchinin was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation on September 10, 2017.
On October 11, 2018, Alexey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Tyler Nicholas Haig (USA) were to go to the ISS on the Soyuz manned spacecraft. It was planned that they will spend 187 days at the station, perform spacewalks, and carry out 56 experiments. However, when the spacecraft was launched from Baikonur at the 119th second of the flight, the engines of the second stage were switched off when the side blocks of the first stage were separated. Then the emergency beacon went off, the ship split into compartments and released a parachute. The crew made an emergency landing and landed in Kazakhstan.
On March 14, 2019, Alexey Ovchinin again went into space. The Soyuz-FG rocket with the spacecraft was launched from Baikonur at 22:14 Moscow time. Nine minutes later, the ship separated from the third stage of the rocket and headed for the station. The flight took place according to a short scheme - the ship made four turns around the Earth (with the standard 34 turns). On board the ship, along with Alexei Ovchinin, were the Americans Nick Haig and Christina Cook. Soyuz MS-12 successfully docked to the International Space Station. The duration of the stay of the cosmonauts at the station will be 204 days.
Alexey Ovchinin is married, daughter of Yana (born in 2007).
Awards and honorary titles
Hero of the Russian Federation (2017)
Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation (2017)
medal "For military valor" II degree;
medals “For Distinction in military service»I, II, III degree;
Medal for Service in the Air Force.
Lieutenant Colonel of the RF Air Force in reserve,
test cosmonaut of FGBU TsPK
named after Yu.A. Gagarina, Russia
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:
MARITAL STATUS: married.
EDUCATION:
From August 1988 to September 1990 he was a cadet of the Borisoglebsk Higher Military School of Pilots (VVAUL), and from September 1990 to August 1992 he was a cadet of the Yeisk VVAUL, after which he received the qualification “pilot-engineer”.
EXPERIENCE:
From August 1992 to February 1998, he served as an instructor pilot of the training aviation regiment (UAP) of the Yeisk VVAUL, and from February 1998 to September 2003 - as an instructor pilot, then as the commander of the aviation unit of the UAP of the Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute (VAI).
From September 2003 until he was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps, he served as the commander of the aviation link of the 70th Separate Test Training Aviation Regiment for Special Purpose (ONITAPON) named after V.I. V.S. Seregina RGNII TsPK (Chkalovsky settlement), Moscow Military District.
He flew on Yak-52 and L-39 planes. The total flight time is over 1300 hours.
He has the qualification of “pilot-instructor of the 2nd class”.
By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation in May-July 2012, he was dismissed from the Armed Forces to the reserve.
On February 26, 2007, he started a two-year course of general space training (GSP).
From June 16 to June 22, 2008 in Sevastopol (Ukraine) participated in training in case of landing of the descent vehicle on the water as part of a simulated crew together with Robert Tersk (Canada) and Richard Garriott (USA).
On June 2, 2009, he completed the OKP course, having passed the state examinations at the CPC with a "good" grade. On June 9, at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Qualification Commission, he was awarded the qualification "test cosmonaut" and was presented with the cosmonaut certificate No. 205.
By order of the head of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “NII TsPK im. Yu.A. Gagarin "from August 1, 2009 was appointed to the post of test cosmonaut of the CTC detachment.
In October 2009, at the Baikonur cosmodrome, he took part in trainings on the simulator of the small research module.
At the meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission for the selection of cosmonauts and their appointment to the crews of manned spacecraft and stations on April 26, 2010, he was certified as a cosmonaut in the detachment of the FSBI "Research Institute of the TsPK im. Yu.A. Gagarin ".
In June 2012, there were reports of his appointment to the crew of the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft. However, in the fall of 2012, the crew for 2014 was not approved due to the decision to carry out an annual flight and the appointment of an experienced cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko to the crew.
From September 15 to 28, 2013, on the island of Sardinia (Italy), he took part in cave survival training to acquire teamwork skills in extreme conditions with astronauts Michael Barratt, Jack Fischer, Jeremy Hansen, Paolo Nespoli and Satoshi Furukawa.
In January 2014, there were reports of his appointment as a member of the Soyuz TMA crew (ISS-47/48 crew).
On January 27, 2014, his appointment to the ISS-47/48 crew was confirmed at a meeting of the Roscosmos Interdepartmental Commission.
On January 30, 2014, as part of the ISS-47/48 crew, together with Oleg Skripochka and Jeffrey Williams, he took part in emergency landing exercises in a wooded and swampy area in winter.
On February 19, 2015, at a meeting of the State Medical Commission at the V.I. Yu.A. Gagarin was recognized as fit for space flight as the commander of the backup crew of the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft.
On March 4, 2015, together with Sergei Volkov and Jeffrey Williams, he conducted an examination training on the Soyuz TMA-M transport manned spacecraft (TPK) simulator. On March 5, the crew passed the test training on the ISS Russian Segment simulator.
March 6, 2015 at a meeting of the State Commission at the Central Exhibition Complex named after Yu.A. Gagarin was approved as the commander of the backup crew of the Soyuz TMA-16M TPK.
March 26, 2015 at the meeting State Commission at the Baikonur cosmodrome this appointment was confirmed.
March 2016
Based on materials from the Yu.A. Gagarin "
and the site www.astronaut.ru.
On Saturday, March 19, the ISS-47/48 crew, consisting of Alexey Ovchinin, a native of Rybinsk, will leave for the International Space Station. Alexey will become the crew commander. And he will take with him a few things that will remind him of family and home.
Ovchinin decided to use his daughter's favorite toy, a pink owl, as an indicator of zero gravity, which will show the astronauts strapped to their seats at what point the spacecraft will go into zero gravity. As soon as the ship overcomes the gravity of the Earth, the plush toy will begin to float. And thereby it will give a signal that the threshold beyond which zero gravity begins has been exceeded.
In addition, Alexey Ovchinin promised to take a souvenir from Rybinsk with him into space - a whistle fish symbolizing his hometown. This mascot was chosen by everyone in Rybinsk - at a competition. The condition of the competition was that the craft should be small, light (since the weight of things that the astronauts can take with them is limited) and made of ecological material. Of the five finalist symbols, Ovchinin himself most liked the clay whistle fish made by Alena Makarova, a teacher at the Solnechny Children's Art Center. On a small fish, the artist managed to draw the city itself, the Volga with the fisherman, and the galaxy with the planet Saturn. All items that the astronauts take with them will be stamped with the ISS. Alexey also wants to take a photo of the craft in the interior. spaceship... Then he will return it to Rybinsk, where it will be placed in one of the museums.
But not only this will remind the astronaut of the house. For his crew, Ovchinin chose the call sign - "Burlak".
Since March 4, cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin, Oleg Skripochka and astronaut Jeffrey Williams have been going through the final stage of training at the Baikonur cosmodrome. The main and backup crews have already familiarized themselves with and conducted training on a manned spacecraft.
The crew will stay at the station for six months.
REFERENCE "KP"
Alexey Ovchinin, 45 years old.
Graduated from school number 2 in Rybinsk. And here he studied at the flying club. Was a cadet Borisoglebsky Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots. He served as an instructor pilot of an aviation training regiment in Bataisk.
From February 1998 to September 2003, he was an instructor pilot, commander of the aviation unit of the Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute in Kotelnikovo (Volgograd Region). Was the commander of the aviation link of the 70th Separate Test Training Aviation Regiment of Special Purpose named after V.S.Seregin in the Moscow Military District.
Pilot-instructor of the 2nd class. The total flight time is over 1300 hours.
In 2006, Alexei Ovchinin was enrolled in the cosmonaut corps to undergo general space training (OKP). Three years later, he was awarded the qualification "test cosmonaut". And in the same year he was appointed test cosmonaut of the CTC detachment.
Alexey trained at the Baikonur cosmodrome, in underground caves on the island of Sardinia, was trained as part of the backup crew of the Soyuz TMA-16M TPK.
He answered questions from subscribers of the official page of the Cosmonaut Training Center on Facebook. Here are all the questions and all the answers:
1.Alexey Nikolaevich, good afternoon! Thanks for the opportunity to ask a question. It is interesting to know which of the experiments in the scientific program seems to you the most interesting and promising? And the results of what experiment, in your opinion, have already changed the life of the simplest inhabitants of the Earth. After all, sometimes people say: “astronautics is too far away, we don’t need it” ... Today they talk a lot about the exploration of deep space, but they add that a person is not ready for such flights in everything. For example, it is not possible to create greenhouses on the ISS, to get a harvest. Maybe these studies should be given more attention? Thanks! And good luck with your work on board the ISS!
Alexey Ovchinin: Eugene, hello! Greenhouses on the ISS have been around for a long time. Maybe not every expedition uses them, but they were still at the Mir station. Legumes, wheat, rye, and flowers were also grown there. And all this grew happily. The experiments were aimed at growing a crop, collecting seeds, planting them again, and re-harvesting them.
Regarding the experiments that are now being carried out on board, it is difficult to say which is more important. Many experiments are interconnected with each other, many medical experiments aimed at studying the effect unfavorable factors space flight on the human body. For example, Jeffrey Williams and I are performing a joint experiment in which we do ultrasound of internal organs: the heart, major veins, arteries.
Personally, I am also interested in the Vizier experiment. This is a survey of the earth's surface using a special photo and video system. We are now trying to "test" the system, when a camera or camera is placed on a movable platform, the time is calculated to photograph an object in a given place.
2. Alexey Nikolaevich, good afternoon! Greetings to the Burlaks from Rybinsk) We are closely following the work of the crew in Earth orbit, we are glad that everything is going according to plan. We know that you have no time to look through the windows at Earth, Moscow, Rybinsk. Tell me, do you manage to follow the news? If so, what news from which area are you most interested in? Thank you and we are waiting for you in your hometown))
Alexey Ovchinin: Hello! We do not fly over Rybinsk itself, we fly to the side, and, moreover, this does not happen often. Last time we flew a month and a half ago at night. But Moscow is very clearly visible.
I very much hope that once again there will be such an orbit along which we will fly both Moscow and the Yaroslavl Region in the daytime. I would very much like to take a picture, of course, if the weather permits.
And about the news - the mental support group sends us news every day. The only thing is that we receive them with a delay. But all the same, we are aware of the events that are taking place in the world. Well, we also have a phone by which we can find out all the news taking place in the same Rybinsk, from relatives and friends. We are not cut off from the world.
3. Good evening, Alexey Nikolaevich! Thank you for the opportunity to look at our planet from the height of your flight, and the question is probably rhetorical, although it was asked to me by children, why do you watch exactly the “white sun of the desert” before the start? If it's not difficult then tell me. And also I would like to convey to you a big and heartfelt greetings from our enterprise FSUE NPO im. S.A. Lavochkin ". Thanks a lot in advance.
Alexey Ovchinin: Alexandra, hello! Thanks for the kind words! There are several versions of why this particular film is watched by astronauts. But the main one, which I most often heard from astronauts who had flown for a long time, was the following: when the crews watched this film before the launch, they noted that the flight was going well, i.e. there weren't any troubles. And the crews who flew not for the first time and said: “Yes, we already know this film by heart! We will not watch ”, during the flights we faced, for example, equipment failure and other troubles. I myself have watched this film many times, and, one might say, I know it by heart, but tradition is tradition. And we try not to break traditions.
4. Aleksey, what did you eat today? Maybe the “cosmic” taste is different from the earthly one?
Alexey Ovchinin: Hello, Alexander! I usually eat cottage cheese or porridge for breakfast in the morning. It was today that I had breakfast with cottage cheese and washed it down with delicious tea with bergamot. For lunch I will put pilaf with pike perch on warming up, and for the first - I will eat some soup, I have not decided which one yet. Most likely, or borscht, or kharcho. Well, for the evening, if I get hungry, I can eat porridge - a fairly large selection of oatmeal - with raisins, wild berries, or something meat. The food is delicious, the choice is great. And during breaks, if time appears, you can drink tea and coffee.
About tastes: the food is one to one the same as we tasted on Earth. Food preferences are changing though. For example, I love fish, fish dishes. I ordered myself 60 percent on the flight. fish dishes... For the first month and a half, I ate it so much that I don't really want it anymore, so I switched to meat. I hope that two or three weeks will pass again I want fish.
5. What are the first impressions of the Bigelow inflatable module? How safe does a person feel in it?
Alexey Ovchinin: Oleg, the module is quite interesting. Now it is empty, there is no equipment in it. The only thing is that oxygen cylinders are installed in order to maintain the necessary atmosphere. American colleagues installed sensors in it to monitor the atmosphere. Now the hatch between the station and this module is closed, various parameters and pressure are constantly being monitored. We look at how the module behaves, how tight it is.
Overall, the technology is very interesting. I think it can be useful, for example, when deploying lunar or Martian bases. It is compact, takes up less space during transportation. In our country, similar technologies are also being developed.
6. Alexey, is the Acropolis of Athens visible from space? Hello to you huge from Greece !!!
Alexey Ovchinin: Hello! I have not seen the Acropolis of Athens from space. But you just probably need to take a closer look ... I think if there were binoculars or a camera with a high magnification, then, in principle, it would be possible to consider ...
7. Hello, Alexey. Please tell me when you go into outer space, how do you feel? Precisely in a large-scale sense. That's when there is only you and the Universe.
And, if possible, the second question. What do you think, is it possible in the next 15-20 years to organize certain trips to Space (conditionally to Orbit) for average people (with average health and for a relatively small fee)?
Thank you.
P.S. I look at the ISS and from the ISS to the cameras. From the app on the tablet)
Alexey Ovchinin: Hello! I think that in the next 15-20 years for the average person, most likely, it will not be possible to organize a trip into space. In general, how can you more people must look at our planet from above, the spectacle is truly mesmerizing! In general, they are being developed different variants space travel. For example, suborbital flights, when the plane takes off, rises to an altitude of about 100 km, you feel weightlessness, then the plane lands. Or how tourists now fly to the ISS on the Soyuz for 10 days.
But tourism and work in orbit should be two different branches, albeit parallel ones. So that one does not interfere with the other.
8. Is Antarctica visible from the ISS windows?
Alexey Ovchinin: Egor, hello! Antarctica - no, I haven't seen it. Greenland - I saw (white, covered in snow).
9. Alksey, greetings! Tell me, how is your crew preparing to meet the crew of Anatoly Ivanishin on July 7?
Alexey Ovchinin: Natasha, hello! Of course, we are already preparing to meet the crew of Anatoly Ivanishin. Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko flies away in less than two days. And three of us will be at the station for three weeks - Oleg Skripochka, Jeffrey Williams and me. Anatoly will start on the 7th, but we will meet him on July 9th, as his crew will fly according to a two-day scheme. Of course, new people are always great. Moreover, Keith Rubins and Takuya Onishi are flying with Anatoly, for whom this is also their first flight. I am sure that they will be as interested as I am. I remember my first impressions, which, however, have still not changed for me.
We are slowly collecting Anatoly's things, which the truck delivered to the station, we put them in one place at the station. I already called him, asked what to warm up from food when he arrives.
10. Question to Alexei Ovchinin: I like the date of your launch - March 19 - the next day, more than half a century after the historic spacewalk of Alexei Leonov.
In 1988, an unusual spacewalk was carried out - music went there: Soviet cosmonauts delivered to the Mir station the solo album of the French singer and composer, leader of the Space group Didier Marouani "Space Opera".
Almost 30 years later (on June 6 of this year), when we met, I asked Didier how he managed to send his album to the orbital station? He remembered how he was obsessed with the idea of bringing his music to Soviet cosmonauts. It was not easy to do this at the time. Then Didier wrote a letter to Mikhail Gorbachev.
“I told him that I had written an opera on the theme of space and I want to pass it on to astronauts. After 10 days I received an answer and an invitation to meet with the head of Glavkosmos. As a result, the disk was delivered to the Mir station, and then it was released into outer space as a message to other civilizations. I say this to the fact that if you sincerely believe in what you are doing, everything will work out, ”Didier Marouani told me. The disc is now "walking" somewhere in the Universe, perhaps, delighting aliens.
Tell:
- what kind of music did you take with you on the expedition?
- is there a disc that you would also like to send into outer space, as a musical message to other civilizations?
- are there any dreams that came true precisely because you believed that you will succeed in IT?
Alexey Ovchinin: Tatiana, hello! I did not take music with me into space, because I knew that there was a large media library on board, which is constantly being replenished. And again, the mental support service, which I already mentioned here, in addition to news, films, also downloads music for us. If suddenly I wanted to listen to music that is not on the station, I asked, and it was downloaded from Earth to me. There is no problem with that.
Well, if we talk about what kind of disc I would send into space ... Then, probably, this is a collection of my favorite songs, I have a lot of them - these are both domestic and foreign performers.
About dreams ... Of course there is. This is a flight into space, my childhood dream. I went to her for a long time, I believed that I would succeed. He made all his efforts, knowledge, skills. And this dream has come true for me. Likewise, after graduating from school, I had a dream to enter a flight school. I did it. If you set a dream and go to it, then everything should work out.
11. Aleksey, how are the Russian cosmonauts on board preparing for the landing of the crew of Yuri Malenchenko, and are the cosmonauts and astronauts involved in preparing for their return to earth?
Alexey Ovchinin: Alexander, the entire ISS crew is fully involved. On the ship, in addition to the crew, many useful cargoes are returned, the results of experiments that were carried out during the expedition. These are both Russian and American cargo. Stowing cargo into the descent vehicle is a laborious process, because there is not much space in it, and there are a lot of things to be launched.
Well, plus, this ship will take out garbage from the station, which will also be packed, but already in the utility compartment, which will burn up in the dense layers of the atmosphere.
Yuri Malenchenko practically every day undergo training in a Chibis vacuum suit, so that after returning, when the body gets under the influence of the earth's gravity, it would be easier to adapt to earthly conditions. Some of us - either me or Oleg Skripochka - will certainly help with such training. Everything is carried out using medical equipment: you need to turn on one device, then another; take one measurement and then another. Therefore, all the time, every day, everyone is involved.
12. Alexey Nikolaevich, I greet you. We are proud of you! Tell us briefly - what is the most difficult thing in orbital flight and what is the most interesting?
Alexey Ovchinin: Vladimir, hello! I would not say that there were any difficulties during my flight. Of course, the first time, when I just arrived, I had to adapt, get involved in the rhythm of work, understand how to work, what to do in order to work productively. There was practically no free time. There was only time for sleep. Now, three months later, it is much easier.
About the most interesting ... In general, it's just very interesting to be here at the station. Three months have passed, and I have such sensations as if I had just arrived. I still can’t believe that I’m here. How I got into a fairy tale!
13. Alexey Nikolaevich, hello! Thank you for the incredible opportunity to get an answer from space to any question. You have been preparing for the flight for several years, now you are in orbit, it turns out that you have achieved the goal that you set for yourself. For example, an athlete, when he finishes first or sets a record, may even cry with happiness after the competition, thinks that so much effort has been spent on achieving the goal and now, now, his dream has come true. Did you feel a sense of satisfaction when you arrived at the station, maybe a feeling of joy that you achieved the goal you set for yourself?
Alexey Ovchinin: Yuri, when the goal you have been pursuing for a particularly long time is achieved, you experience both a feeling of joy and a feeling of spiritual, moral satisfaction - probably everything is “in one bottle”. There should always be a goal in life to strive for. If there is no goal, it will not be interesting to live. I already have a new goal, and I am starting to move smoothly in its direction.
14. Question: Do you think that humanity has reached a dead end in astronautics? Soon, floundering in the coastal zone will be a waste of money. Don't you think that a breakthrough is needed in this area? Out into deep space, etc.
Alexey Ovchinin: Vasily, hello! Without "floundering in the coastal zone" you will not get into deep space. To fly further, you need to work out at least those technologies that will be useful in deep space. If you immediately fly into deep space, then 99.9% of this flight will be doomed. Yes, now we are still flying around the Earth. But the technologies, skills and abilities that are practiced during such flights go into the piggy bank for promising long-distance space flights.
15. Alexey Nikolaevich, I welcome you! A question from my 7-year-old son: is the Rybinsk Reservoir visible through the windows of the ISS? Thanks in advance! We wish you good luck, we are waiting for you in our small homeland!
Alexey Ovchinin: Hello Maria! I have not seen it yet, but I will really wait to see it!
16. Hello, Alexey Nikolaevich. Can the ISS remain operational for a long time without human service? And what do you think about the idea of inflatable modules for the station? Do they have a future?
Alexey Ovchinin: Arslan, hello! The ISS needs constant support and replacement of control systems. A station is an organism that consists of many systems. From time to time - as, for example, we change the oil in a car - after the expiration of the warranty period or upon failure, it is necessary to change certain units. And the crew is doing this.
You can, of course, mothball the station so that nothing would work on it, but this is not an option. If the station is left in working order, then sooner or later some systems will fail, and no one, except a person, will be able to change them. This can lead to negative, undesirable consequences.
17. Alexey Nikolaevich, thanks for the connection with space! We are looking forward to your return to Earth. Your flight is undoubtedly a life event. As a rule, after certain events in life, people experience a reassessment of values, a change in their outlook on things ... You are so far from the Earth, probably when you have free moments, you think about a lot, whether thoughts have changed in space flight compared to than you thought here on Earth. And how, in your opinion, does space change the worldview?
Alexey Ovchinin: Sergey, hello! Of course, space changes the worldview. Feelings are indescribable. After I flew here and saw our planet from the station, I realized that all the thoughts and problems that were on Earth, it seems, remained on Earth. Looking at our planet, you understand that it is very fragile. Man must live in balance with nature. All the cataclysms that humanity has experienced lately are Negative influence human activity on this living organism - our Earth. Here, on board the station, you understand this even more clearly.
18. Good afternoon, Alexey. Do you miss Earth and what is the atmosphere on the ISS? Thank you.
Alexey Ovchinin: Nikita, hello! The ISS has a very friendly atmosphere. The station is quiet, calm, everyone is doing their own thing. Usually on Saturdays we get together on the Russian or on the American segment, visit each other, talk. The American segment has a projector, and when a new film is sent to our colleagues, we watch it on the big screen, like in a movie theater.
And it was also great when the Dragon arrived and brought ice cream. On weekends, when we meet, colleagues treat us to delicious ice cream. Ice cream aboard the ISS is fantastic!
19. Alexey, good afternoon! Let me ask you a question from the Moscow Region Education magazine. Public lesson"Which I represent. In your opinion, why is there so little attention paid to astronomy in schools today? What needs to be done to change the situation and is it necessary to change it at all - leaving teaching astronomy the prerogative of specialized universities? Thanks!
Alexey Ovchinin: Hello, Alexander! I believe that astronomy should be a separate subject at school. First, knowledge of astronomy broadens a person's horizons. Secondly, this is a very interesting science. Elementary concepts of stars, planets, Solar system, should be for every person.
20. Question: If something goes wrong with the air supply devices or a space object crashes into you, what will be the plan of evacuation to Earth?
Alexey Ovchinin: Nikita, hello! We do not have an air supply device as such. There is an atmosphere supported by several systems. One system converts water into oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen is thrown overboard the station, into outer space, and oxygen is added to the inside of the station. There is a system for cleaning the atmosphere from impurities - air is pumped through it, cleaned of carbon dioxide, from harmful impurities and again thrown into the station. These systems are available in both the Russian and American segments. They always work in parallel, there is always duplication, and sometimes "tripling".
And if some space object, for example, a meteorite, suddenly hits, and depressurization occurs, then there are several options. Everything will depend on how strong the depressurization will be, how fast the rate of pressure drop will be. After the crew has determined these parameters, one or another algorithm of actions will be used. The crews practice all this in joint training sessions on actions in emergency situations.
21. Alexey Nikolaevich, what do you miss the most on Earth?
Alexey Ovchinin: Dasha, hello! I miss my family and friends, I really miss summer, warm weather, nature ... Now I would like to walk along the green grass, go to the forest, go to the river, go to the barbecue - these are things that are unreal here. You miss them, of course.
22. I know the answers to most of the questions, and so ... I have one question: Whose Crimea? ..
Alexey Ovchinin: Ilya, hello! Of course, Russian.
23. Greetings from Kazakhstan to you and the entire ISS crew! An inflatable module is docked to the ISS while it is being tested. It is the same Atmosphere pressure as at the station. The question is this; Do you plan to test disposable shells with thin walls, designed for low atmospheric pressure, inside which a person in a light spacesuit could assemble large-size orbital and interplanetary stations from ready-made rigid panels with their subsequent sealing? After all, it will not be possible to lift a station the size of a tanker into orbit for the next 1000 years. Also, such a shell will protect space from construction debris.
Alexey Ovchinin: Alexander, hello! It's very difficult to say. Maybe in the future there will be such an opportunity.
I know that technologies similar to the American "BEAM" are being developed in Russia, and perhaps in the next few years we will hear about them, and some of the Russian cosmonauts will take part in activating these modules. And so far I have not heard about what is written here in the question. Special thanks for your wishes!
24. Alexey, please tell us how you decided to become an astronaut? And yet, are you not afraid? Thank you. Best regards, Irina, Rostov-on-Don.
Alexey Ovchinin: Irina Leonidovna, hello! It was scary not to become an astronaut, and being an astronaut is not scary at all. It was a childhood dream to become an astronaut, and since childhood I have systematically walked towards the realization of this dream. Everything came true.
25. Hello!
Please tell me if there is a chance to become an astronaut after graduating from the Moscow Aviation Institute, Faculty of Aviation Engineering.
Where to go next? There are absolutely no health problems! Is it true that cross-country skiing is included in the standards?
Alexey Ovchinin: Hello! Of course have! Graduates of the Moscow Aviation Institute - in the subject of space. The main thing is health, the desire to become an astronaut and, of course, the availability of a set of cosmonauts, because now they are not held every year. When the set is announced, those wishing to become an astronaut need to write an application and start examinations, among them - medical, physical, which includes passing physical tests, there are a lot of them. At this point, how lucky: if the set is in winter, then there will be skis too. But there is no cross-country skiing. So, the medical board, physical fitness tests, an interview with psychologists. If you go through everything successfully, welcome to the cosmonaut squad!
26. Sorry for the stupid question. If you spend all the fuel available at the station for acceleration - what will happen? will the orbit altitude increase slightly or can you fly into real space?
Alexey Ovchinin: Vasily, hello! Nobody will allow to spend the entire fuel supply at the station. The station's fuel is used to maintain the station's orientation and to correct the orbit when an acceleration pulse is issued to raise the orbit. Also, the engines can be turned on to perform a space debris evasion maneuver - an impulse is issued either for braking or acceleration to increase or decrease the altitude to prevent collisions with space debris.
27. Good evening! Is your daily routine tied to Moscow time or is a different time zone used? Do astronauts from different countries live at the same time on the ISS?
Alexey Ovchinin: Hello! The ISS crew lives by Greenwich Mean Time. It differs from Moscow time by 3 hours. For example, if you have six in the evening, we have three in the afternoon.
28. This will be a long introduction and a very boring question written in the hope of an answer "from there". From birth, a person learns and explores the world around him.
Then he locks himself up among other individuals in the kindergarten for the time being.
Then to school, where they teach according to the template “The Earth revolves around the Sun”, which would be true if the Sun is stationary in space both relative to the axis of our galaxy and relative to other galaxies.
Then to the institute, where the future brilliant managers of Svobodnaya Kassa come from (for solvent consumers).
We are taught that we are reasonable and humane.
But we trade and squabble over territories, resources, and footholds.
We believe in the price of colored pieces of paper. Doubtful rationality and zero collectivism (from a planetary point of view).
We evaluate everything around, even irreplaceable, in the amount of these pieces of paper.
But now, you were able to find yourself "there" where the price of these pieces of paper is completely zero.
Where the past of distant worlds is visible.
There, from a height, look at This fragile ball.
There, you learn something new, if not for earthlings, so for yourself.
Has your worldview or value system changed?
Is there some kind of disappointment?
Or you reject all thoughts and act like in a regular job, like the same seller at a bread kiosk: you come, work, leave.
As if "our people don't take a taxi to the bakery")))
Alexey Ovchinin: Alexey, hello! Thanks for the question! Everything that you think about on Earth, here at the station, becomes secondary, fades into the background. I just want to be here, to live in this environment, to enjoy every moment. As I wrote above, looking at our planet, you understand that it is very fragile. Man must live in balance with nature. Here you understand it even more clearly.
29. Do dreams at the station differ from earthly dreams in content, design, duration of fragments?
Alexey Ovchinin: Sergey, hello! Dreams are dreamed regularly. If “space” dreams were dreamed on Earth: I am at the station, I flew to the ISS, I fly over it, everything is very plausible, - then only “earthly” dreams are dreamed here: relatives, loved ones, friends, the Earth ... The “space” dream is still here none of them dreamed.
Dreams are the same in duration as earthly dreams, very short, it seems to us that you are dreaming for a long time. I woke up, looked at my watch: oh, I woke up a bit early, - fell asleep again, and you can see another dream. Everything is the same as on Earth.
30. Good morning, Alexey Nikolaevich! Huge and warm greetings to you from sunny, but damn cold Adygea this summer! Question: when will summer come? ... Maybe you know better there? When will these gray clouds dissipate over the Krasnodar Territory? :) And one more thing: how is your morning going? Thanks!
Alexey Ovchinin: Anna, hello! Right now we are flying over Europe, it is completely covered by clouds. Crimea, we must give it its due, is open. Everything around him is covered by clouds, the Black Sea coast Krasnodar Territory in some places it is also closed.
Summer will come sooner or later. Everything will be fine, the clouds will go away! We ourselves are waiting for this - a lot of interesting things can be photographed, and the cloudiness interferes. I just thought to shoot, for example, Paris or another city in Europe - and the sky is covered with clouds.
About morning: it goes away, like every person: getting up, washing, brushing teeth, exercising. You put yourself in order, and then we have a morning planning conference, at which we report on the parameters of the station, report on our state of health, and if there are questions about the work that we have to do during the day, we ask them. After - breakfast and the beginning of the working day.
31. Hello! Does the orbit of the station's flight pass through the central part of Russia and through Rybinsk? While fishing on the Mukhinsky stream, I admired the stars in the clear sky. Objects created by a human hand were often flown by. Sometimes they are very large. Station-I thought. Is that so? How is your mood? Don't you think that it is a stone's throw from the station to Rybinsk? Some 300-400 km. As from Rybinsk to Moscow. Good luck to all of you!
Alexey Ovchinin: Yes, the station can be seen. If it flies in the vicinity of Moscow, then it can be seen from Rybinsk - the main thing is to know where the station will fly relative to the settlement. It is better to observe the flight of the station when it is already beginning to get dark on the Earth, and the sun is still shining at altitude, and then the ISS is very clearly visible in the dark sky, it shines in the sun's rays. 300 - 400 kilometers from the ISS to Rybinsk - yes, if we flew strictly over Rybinsk. But since we are flying to the side, the tilt to the range will be greater, within 700 - 800 kilometers. Yes, it is, not that far.
Andrey, you will not believe, the mood is good!
32. Dear Alexey, please tell me which of the listed Russian basic national values (patriotism, social solidarity, citizenship, family, health, education, labor, creativity, science, traditional Russian religions, art and literature, nature, humanity) help , in your opinion, the cosmonaut is to keep the orbital watch on the International Space Station.
Alexey Ovchinin: Tatiana, hello! I believe that all of these qualities help to keep the space watch. Without health, without education - nowhere. I would not have got into the cosmonaut corps without them. Without work, without discipline, without science, I would not have become an astronaut, would not have flown into space. I think every Russian should have a feeling of patriotism, it should be absorbed with mother's milk. Art, literature broaden the horizons of a person. All together you need to become an astronaut and keep watch on the International Space Station. Of course, of these qualities, several can be distinguished as influencing to a greater extent - health, education, family. Relatives, loved ones - our reliable rear, this is important.
33. Good afternoon, Alexey Nikolaevich. Can I invite you to the school to talk with our guys? G. Rybinsk. Thank you.
Alexey Ovchinin: Konstantin, hello! Of course you can! What is the school number? I think there will be both time and opportunity after the flight. I will be happy to come and talk with the children.
34. Hello, Alexey! My car does not start in severe frost, the grease dubs. Tell me, how do you lubricate the moving parts in space? Please don't use the term "special" :)
Alexey Ovchinin: Sergey, hello! I think this is one of best questions! Of course, it is SPECIAL grease that is used. There are not many moving parts at the station. I confess, I never thought about what kind of lubricant is used. I myself have become interested now, I will try to find out. As I know, maybe I will answer later.
35. Alexey, what is your favorite book?
Your first dream after going into space has come true?
You have very sophisticated equipment and software... Are there computer viruses / attacks and how are you defending yourself?
Alexey Ovchinin: Maxim, hello! Favorite book ... It's hard to say, it's hard to choose one. Recently, the books could not be read due to the heavy workload. Handbooks before the flight were flight documentation and books on actions in emergency situations.
About software - we have complex software. These are special programs that control all systems in the station. Of course, our software is protected by antivirus software, which is updated every week. There is a special closed server through which the Earth communicates with the station.
36. Alexey, good day!
I would like to ask you what useful books on space topics (professional and scientific) would you recommend to read? What are your favorite books and can your colleagues have any interesting advice?
Congratulations to all the ISS crews and everyone involved in space research on the anniversary of the first manned flight into space!
Thank you very much for what you are doing for us earthlings!
Health and success!
Alexey Ovchinin: Vera, hello! There are many books about cosmonautics, some of them were written by cosmonauts, both flying and non-flying. It is interesting to read them, find out the point of view of the authors. From popular science books I will name the works of Boris Chertok. What else? I liked the book by Joseph Davydov "The Triumph and Tragedy of Soviet Cosmonautics", I read it a long time ago. The author at one time was the head of the department, which was engaged in testing space technology. He and his staff practiced all kinds of "survival", tested all centrifuges and simulators, tested on themselves all the loads through which the astronauts then passed. Davydov described how the testers were looking for the limit of human capabilities, not sparing their own. An interesting book, I liked it.
