Professional selection of cosmonauts

Cosmonaut selection comprises actions, methods, and procedures which allow selecting candidates with personal characteristics and competence which meet professional requirements of a cosmonaut most of all.

Leading organization for cosmonaut selection in the Russian Federation is State Organization “Gagarin Research&Test Cosmonaut Training Center”.

Professional selection comprises:

• Examination and evaluation of cosmonaut candidates health status and qualification;
• Evaluation of knowledge and trainability including studying and learning space engineering within the frame of necessary requirements;
• Examination and evaluation of psychological and psychophysiological characteristics;
• Evaluation of professional motivation and  behavioral standards;
• Evaluation of professional activity level.

At every stage of the selection cosmonaut candidates should meet different requirements. The whole process of the cosmonaut selection is based on the requirements of the RF Space Program. While making decision of selection time constraints, number of the candidates, and their experience level the following things should be taken into consideration:

• National and international (Russia-assisted) manned spaceflight programs;
• Number of (active) cosmonauts being trained;
• Cosmonaut qualification and specialization requirements for the future is under discussion;
• Duration of the training for the spaceflight (considering staged training process);
• Requirements to the cosmonaut professional experience.

 

Requirements to a cosmonaut candidate

 

In the course of the cosmonaut selection process the following examinations are fulfilled:

1. Examination of medical and psychological characteristics of candidates:

• Standard clinical examination;
• Psychological examination;
• Special function tests;
• G-tolerance examination;
• Hypoxia tolerance examination;
• Vestibular tolerance examination;
• Antiortho-orthostatic tolerance examination;
• Physical readiness evaluation.

2. Professional selection:

• Cosmonautics awareness;
• Learning ability;
• Complex technologies mastering capability
• Computer skills;
• Foreign language skills;
• Logical thinking;
• Knowledge of physics, mathematics;
• Knowledge of literature, Russian language.