This week, news broke out that four cosmonauts were leaving Russia’s cosmonaut corps. Among them is Gennady Padalka, who holds the world’s record for having spent the most days in space. He said he was “tired of doing nothing” and had no “prospects of flying again”. Three other cosmonauts – Sergei Volkov, Sergei Revin, and Alexander Samokutyaev – were recommended for dismissal from their posts by an interdepartmental commission. Yuri Lonchakov, head of the Cosmonaut Training Center (CTC), attributes the pilots’ departure to a “change of their life priorities” and “health status.” Meduza explains what is going on in the CPC and why the cosmonauts are leaving.
Gennady Padalka
On April 21, a Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka wrote a letter of resignation from the cosmonaut corps. That is how he explained his decision: “I have to leave. I am tired of doing nothing. I have no prospects of flying again. There is no work for me in the center, either.” Padalka completed five space missions and set a record for the longest stay in space — 878 days. The cosmonaut was planning to go on another mission and break his own record, but he has not been appointed as a crew member.
A source close to the CTC described Padalka as “one of the few cosmonauts who, after several missions, retained their personal goals and the desire to continue flying.” “The cosmonaut’s decision to leave the corps was influenced by the fact that there were no plans of including him in forthcoming flights,” Meduza’s source has confirmed. He also noted that Padalka had been waiting for a new appointment for a long time, but this did not happen because of the “poor relations with the head of the CTC”. According to the source, Lonchakov did not appreciate Padalka’s “bluntness”.
The source also noted that no one was going to give the cosmonaut any managerial positions at the center, so on April 28, 2017, Padalka would most likely leave the CTC for good. The cosmonaut named this date in a conversation with Meduza’s correspondent, but declined to comment on any other issues. “Until April 28, I am not ready to state anything,” said Padalka.
Commenting on Padalka’s resignation, head of the CTC Yuri Lonchakov reminded that this summer, the cosmonaut would turn 59, and that “working at the International Space Station and working in outer space is not only highly risky, but also stressful for the human body and damaging to one’s health.”
Volkov, Revin, and Samokutyaev
Padalka’s letter of resignation from the corps has to be considered by the interdepartmental commission of the Roscosmos state corporation in early May. This was the commission that on April 21 had recommended that the CTC dismiss three other cosmonauts – Sergei Volkov, Alexander Samokutyaev and Sergei Revin. This became known on April 24th.
According to Meduza’s informer in the CPC, Sergei Volkov submitted a letter of resignation in early March. The pilot had beenon a space mission space thrice and, according to the information from the source, was planning to “quit flying after the second flight”. “Not everyone is content and comfortable on the long expeditions to the ISS,” explained the source. According to the informer, Volkov had been planning to take the post of commander of the cosmonaut corps after his third mission, but “this opportunity was never given to him,” so he left. Volkov himself declined to comment.
The same source told Meduza that Revin and Samokutyaev had not passed the 2016 medical exam, which is why the interdepartmental commission resolved to dismiss them.
“Sergei Revin’s health has long been a reason for concern. These problems could be fixed, but the cosmonaut decided to do nothing and to leave the corps instead,” said the source. According to the yet unconfirmed information, Revin was invited to work at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. The cosmonaut declined to comment, explaining that he was formally still employed by the CTC. He also did not rule out his taking a position at the CTC. “We will fight on! And fly some more!” he added at the end of the conversation.
A situation with Samokutyaev is similar. According to Meduza’s source, the management of the CTC had expected that the cosmonaut would pass the main medical evaluation, “but somehow he failed, and was let go.” Samokutyaev held the post of deputy commander of the cosmonaut corps – and after depriving the cosmonaut’s status, he retained it. At the time of publication, he was not available for comment.
CTC head Yury Lonchakov, called these dismissals “a natural process”: “Sooner or later all cosmonauts have to leave the corps. Some people do it because their life priorities changed, some have to do it for health reasons. “ Lonchakov also denied the information that appeared in the media that “the CTC is firing cosmonauts in a big way”. He said that the center “successfully continues to train a new generation of cosmonauts.” “The time has come to give way to the younger generation of cosmonauts, and the management of Roscosmos fully supports us in this,” Lonchakov said, as quoted on the agency’s website.
Representatives of Roscosmos, in response to Meduza’s request to comment on the dismissal of cosmonauts, asked to point out that the corporation “expresses solidarity with the CTC’s position”.
Sergey Volkov smiles after landing in a Soyuz capsule near the town of Arkalyk, northern Kazakhstan, November 22, 2011
Photo: Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA
In a conversation with Meduza, an acting pilot-cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko called the dismissals of colleagues “a mere rotation”: “Nothing pivotal has happened, it is just three individual cases have coincided. Sergei Volkov made three flights, he decided that was enough, and he just quit: calmly and without any drama. He, by the way, has two children. Everyone makes this decision for himself. Do not make a scandal out of this, everything is calm and peaceful with us.” Kornienko believes that the whole story is “overblown” by Gennady Padalka.
“The interests of a narrow circle”
It is not the first time when cosmonauts are leaving the corps. In 2016, Mikhail Turin left (he completed three missions), as well as Oleg Kotov (who also completed three missions, and now is the head of the Center for Manned Programs at the Central Research Institute of Machine Building), Yuri Malenchenko (six missions), Maxim Suraev (two missions), and Elena Serova (one mission). “Suraev and Serov left the CTC for the State Duma [both were elected as representatives of the United Russia — Meduza], although they could still continue their flying activities,” the source said.
According to the source, it was not a rare case when cosmonauts left the CTC voluntarily. For instance, in 2013, Yuri Lonchakov himself left the cosmonaut corps “due to the transition to a new place of work”, despite the fact that at that time he had been preparing as a commander of the crew Soyuz TMA-16M which was planned for launch in 2015. “Evgeny Tarelkin, however, was officially dismissed for health reasons,” the CTC source said. Tarelkin did not comment on his dismissal to Meduza, explaining this as follows: “I don’t want to go anywhere near this snake pit.”
According to the source of Meduza, the reason of “mass exodus” of cosmonauts is organizational problems at the CTC. “After the appointment of Lonchakov, the number of the posts of his deputies and advisers was largely increased, and the value of these actions is totally unclear. These posts were taken by people close to the management and loyal to them, but often with no experience in supervisory work or in the field of space,” said a source in the CTC.
According to him, these “negative changes” have also affected wages: they used to grow steadily, now they constantly decline. “Many key employees live in the dormitories at the center; at the same time, the salaries for the people at management positions are several times higher than the average salary at the enterprise,” says the source.
“From the inside, the situation looks as if the main goal of the CTC is not to organize manned flights, but to satisfy the interests of a narrow circle,” the source said. “All this situation is mirrored in the process of cosmonauts’ selection, preparation, and assignment to the crews. To be appointed to a crew, one needs to show loyalty to the current leadership. “ According to the source, the dismissal of cosmonauts is a natural result of this style of leadership, its indirect confirmation.
Sergei Krikalev, former head of the CTC, and now the first deputy director of the Central Research Institute of Machine Building for manned programs, refused to talk about the cosmonauts’ dismissal. “I do not want to comment on the actions of my successor [Lonchakov],” said Krikalev to Meduza.