The conference for the selection of astronauts decided on the appointments of 7 people (one of them a woman) to the position of "candidates for the position of cosmonauts" and approved the beginning of the training process at the Yuri Gagarin Center.
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The launch of the Russian "Space Truck" "Progress" M-58 is planned for October 23, this was announced by Vladimir Solovyov, who is responsible for the Russian part of the International Space Station. "On the new Progress we will bring all the necessary equipment for the repair of the oxygen re-production system, "Electron". We want the ISS to have a spare set of cables and valves," the Rya-Novosti news agency quotes. According to Soloviov, the flight will be carried out according to a "smooth" pattern, and Progress will reach the space station in 3 days instead of two.
* Preparations continue for the launch of the MetOp European weather research satellite. As you remember, the launch was postponed according to ESA's request to test the satellite after the last stage of Soyuz-2 was damaged during transport. On the morning of October 14, the launcher with the satellite will move to the launch pad. The launch of the Soyuz with the serial number Ж15000-003, with the top booster of the "Fregat" type (Fregat) number 1011 and the MetOp satellite is planned for October 17, at 18:28 (Israel time).
* On Friday at the "Jubilee" airport in Baikonur, the An-124 "Roslan" plane landed, bringing the top booster "Briz-M" (Briz-M), which will be used to launch the ArabSat-4B satellite, Roscosmos announces. The launch of the "Proton-M" launcher (Proton-M) with serial number 53515, with the Breez-M accelerator number 88517 and the satellite belonging to the "Arab Satellite Communication Organization", is scheduled for the eighth of November.
* The decisions of the conference for the selection of cosmonauts were published on the official website of Roscosmos. The chairman of the conference is Anatoly Perminov, director of Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and its members are representatives from the "Energy" corporation, representatives of the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, and representatives of the Institute for Medical-Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences. At the meeting, it was decided to appoint 7 people (one of them a woman) to the position of "candidates for the position of cosmonauts" and confirmed the beginning of the training process at the Yuri Gagarin Center.
* In 2007, the observation of Russia's forests will be carried out from space, reports the website CNews.com. In this way Russia's Federal Forestry Agency will be able to better monitor fires and illegal logging.
* Also, in 2007, Russia will receive completely different tools - 3 divisions of tactical missiles of the Iskander-M type (according to NATO SS-26) writes CNews.com. According to the words of the Russian Deputy Minister of Defense, General Alexei Moskovsky, the army will receive one division complex this year, and another 3 in 2007. He also noted that the Russian army is moving to a new system of weapons supply. "We will no longer buy equipment in a small number of units, but in complete assemblies that will immediately go to new and complete tactical-combat units, instead of being attached to existing units."
* On October 6, an article appeared in the newspaper "Kommersant" that drew many reactions and even an official denial by Roscosmos. The article states that the Russian space agency decided to give all rights to the publication to a company called E-vita. This includes placing advertisements on the launchers, space suits, spacecraft and even on the International Space Station. Moreover, a price list was even published on the company's website. Examples: an ad on Soyuz or Proton launchers can cost between 200,00 and 2 million dollars (if it is about buying exclusive rights for one launch), logos on the space suit uniforms will cost between one hundred and two hundred thousand dollars. This is also the price range of the cost of a XNUMX kilogram shipment to the ISS.
* As stated above, Roscosmos rejected the claims regarding the contract with the company. Let's recall that Russia was the first in the field of advertising in space. In 1992, an advertisement for a Western tobacco company appeared on the Proton-K launcher. In 1996, advertising material from a Western beverage company was sent to the "Mir" space station. Two cosmonauts even performed a spacewalk and shot a short video there, which later formed the basis of an advertising campaign.
* On the 190th of October, a government awarding ceremony was held in the Kremlin for people who have shown great achievements in their faithful work and service to the homeland. Among those who received signs of recognition and medals, from President Vladimir Putin, was the experimental cosmonaut of the group of cosmonauts of the Russian Gagarin Astronaut Training Center, Hero of Russia, and Valery Tokarev. He received the "For Achievements for the Fatherland" second degree for his 12-day flight as part of crew number XNUMX of the International Space Station.
Applications from volunteers who want to participate in an experiment to simulate a flight to Mars have been received from more than a hundred people from 21 countries, said the official representative of the Institute of Medical-Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Mark Balkovsky in an interview with Rya-Novosti. The name of the project is "Mars-500", during which six volunteers will spend 500 days in an isolated facility that simulates a flight to Mars, a stay on the surface and a return to Earth. The participants will be highly educated, 25-50 years old, from a suitable medical or technological background, who will be carefully selected. The blog will follow the project, and review it in detail in the future.
