RGNIITsPK picture

Sergei Alexandrovich VOLKOV

ISS Commander,
Commander of Soyuz ТМА
transport space vehicle,
RF Air Force Lieutenant-Colonel,
Test Cosmonaut of RGNII CTC
after Yu.A. Gagarin, Russia

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: April 1, 1973, town of Chuguev, Kharkov Region, Ukraine.
Farther: Alexandr Alexandrovich Volkov, born in 1948, Hero of the Soviet Union, USSR Pilot-Cosmonaut, retired colonel.
Mother: Anna Nikolayevna Volkova (Volik), born in 1950, librarian.

EDUCATION: In 1995 he graduated from Tambov Higher Military Aviation School after M.M. Raskova for Pilots specializing in "Command Tactical Bombardment Aviation".

FAMILY STATUS: married.
Wife - Natalya Viktorovna Volkova (Shinkarenko), book-keeper.

WORK EXPERIENCE: From March 5, 1996 he was a pilot and from April 30, 1996 till his being enlisted in Cosmonauts Corps he had served as commander assistant of air squadron ship for control and relaying. The has flown the following airplanes: L-29, L-39, TU-134, IL-22. Total flying time is about 350 hours. He was qualified as Class 3 Military Pilot.
On December 26, 1997 he was enlisted as a test cosmonaut candidate to RGNII CTC after Yu.A. Gagarin.
From January 1998 to November 1999 he passed general space training course and on December 1, 1999 he was qualified as a test cosmonaut.
In January 2000 he took part in space flight training as member of the team under the ISS Program.
From September 2001 to February 2003 he undertook training as the Commander of Soyuz-ТМА transport space vehicle (call sign - "Eridan") and ISS pilot included in the ISS-7 backup crew together with Sergei Krikalev and Paul Richardson (in March 2002 John Phillips replaced him). Following the Columbia Shuttle catastrophe, from February to October 2003 he trained together with Sergei Krikalev and John Phillips included in the ISS Prime Crew, which was to be launched onboard STS-114 Orbiter. In September 2003 the crew had ceased training due to a changed STS-114 Mission Program.
In February 2004 he was included in ISS-11 Prime Crew and resumed training. He was expected to be delivered to the ISS by STS-121. However, in January 2005 it was decided to include ESA cosmonaut Thomas Reiter in ISS-11 crew. Due to this fact, he was taken out of ISS-11 crew and ceased training.
In late July 2005 he was enlisted in the combined cosmonauts team designated as ISS-15/16/17, upon which ISS-15, ISS-16 and ISS-17 crews had been formed. On August 15, 2005 he got down to training within this team at RGNII CTC.
From February 13, 2006 he got training at RGNII CTC under the program of ISS-10 Visiting Expedition backup crew. On March 30, 2006 during Soyuz-ТМА-8 transport space vehicle he was backup participant of space flight. In May 2006, by the decision of Roscosmos, RGNII CTC and RSC Energia he was appointed preliminarily commander of transport space vehicle of ISS-17 Prime Grew, together with Oleg Kononenko.
From June 2 through June 10, 2006 he took part in training in Sevastopol (Ukraine) focused on cases of failed water landing of descent vehicle with conventional crew consisting of Oleg Kononenko and Daniel Tani. In August, by the Roscosmos/NASA joint decision he was preliminarily appointed ISS-17 Commander of Soyuz-ТМА-12, the launch of which was scheduled for April 2008.
On November 6, 2007 at the meeting of Roscosmos Interdepartmental Commission for Selecting Cosmonauts and their Enlistment in Crews of Manned Space Vehicles and Stations he was approved as the Commander of ISS-17 and Soyuz-ТМА-12 transport manned space vechicle.

March 2008.
Materials provided by RGNII CTC after Yu.A. Gagarin
and Handbook "Soviet and Russian Cosmonauts. 1960-2000".