Russian cosmonaut Yelena Serova

cosmonaut Yelena Serova
cosmonaut Yelena Serova

Yelena Serova may become the fourth woman astronaut in the history of Russia and the USSR. Her first flight is scheduled for 2014. Russian cosmonaut Yelena Serova was born April 22, 1976 in the village Vozdviz Ussuri region of Primorsky Krai. She graduated from the Aerospace Faculty of the Moscow Aviation Institute named after Sergey Ordzhonikidze. In 2003 she graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Instrument Engineering and Information qualified as an economist.

cosmonaut Yelena Serova 2

Elena Serova ‘s family

Her husband is also an astronaut – Mark Serov, they have a 8-year-old daughter. In 2005, Yelena Serova filed an application for membership in the cosmonaut RSC “Energia”. 2009, she completed the course of general space training, after which she was awarded the qualification “test cosmonaut.” Serova participated in training at Star City in 2009 to survive in the desert, to land on water, etc. In April 2010, Yelena has been certified as a cosmonaut of RSC “Energia” detachment.

The commander of the ship Alexander Samokutyaev. Photo of the CPC.
The commander of the ship Alexander Samokutyaev. Photo of the CPC.

Interestingly, in the history of Russian space exploration there are 18 women, but only three of them were able to visit the Earth’s orbit. They were brave and courageous representatives of the beautiful half of humanity – Valentina Tereshkova, Svetlana Savitskaya, Elena Kondakova. And all three have set their records. Valentina Tereshkova – the first woman astronaut. Svetlana Savitskaya – the first woman to walk in space. Elena Kondakova – record holder among women long stay in orbit – 169 days.

 

Trying on a spacesuit. Photos of the CPC
Trying on a spacesuit. Photos of the CPC

Yelena Serova: “Sometimes people have to live not only for ourselves, but for humanity to be able to move forward and develop. And it can not develop so well and so quickly without progress in space.”

Serova was one of five cosmonauts selected to raise the Russian flag at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

By the decision of the interdepartmental commission December 15, 2011, Yelena Serova was appointed as a flight engineer in the main crew of “Soyuz TMA”, which start on the program MKS-41/42 (ISS-40S) is scheduled for September 2014. A December 21, 2011 Head of the Federal Space Agency Vladimir Popovkin officially announced her appointment to this crew. Information – RIA Novosti.

 

The Serov family. The photo was taken 6 years ago. From the archive of Mark Serov.
The Serov family. The photo was taken 6 years ago. From the archive of Mark Serov.
In this baby photo, Lena is third from the left in the bottom row. Photo from the archive of the newspaper Kommunar.
In this baby photo, Lena is third from the left in the bottom row. Photo from the archive of the newspaper Kommunar.