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Hello,
These days the Khrunichev Space Center
were seeing Angara off.
They were sending it to the Plesetsk launch site for tests.
Angara is a new generation
of environmentally friendly modular launchers.
Today the Khrunichev Space Center
constructs not only the light,
but also the heavy Angara,
that will replace the Russian Proton launcher.
Yuriy Bakhvalov, Deputy General Director -- General Designer of Salyut: Angara is a modern launcher,
which uses state-of-the-art developments,
existing in the space industry.
And this concerns not only its structure and new materials.
But also systems applied,
providing for a very efficient
use of propellant components.
Systems, permitting to resolve issues,
related to emergency situations.
All in all, reliability of Angara is substantially higher, than that of Proton.
The Russian Bion satellite with mice,
snails and lizards came back from the orbit.
Unfortunately, not all the animals were able
to survive the orbital flight.
But scientists believe that the sacrifice
was not in vain.
Science will get new data about space influence
on living organisms.
Vladimir Sychev, Scientific Supervisor of the Bion project: Headed by Roscosmos,
this program started several years ago.
And within this time an absolutely
new unique spacecraft was created.
This was a unique flight
also because of 30 days.
Nowhere in the world did living biological objects,
and, moreover, mammals, fly for 30 days in automatic mode.
Labour dynasties are not uncommon in Russia.
Five years ago a family profession appeared
in cosmonautics, too.
In 2008 Sergey Volkov
- a son of Hero of the Soviet Union,
a famous cosmonaut Aleksandr Volkov- was sent into orbit.
These days the founder
of the first space dynasty in the world,
a native of Donbas, celebrates his anniversary.
And his son Sergey
is getting already prepared to his third flight.
Pilot-Cosmonaut Aleksandr Volkov: When I departed to space,
couldn't assume at all
that my son too becomes an astronaut.
Hero of the Soviet Union,
Pilot-Cosmonaut Aleksandr Volkov
starts his day in the kitchen.
First thing to do is coffee to his family.
Aleksandr Volkov: I mastered this device quicker,
than others,
and cook more often.
It is a rare occasion -- the elder son Sergey
came to have breakfast with his parents.
He has almost no free time, every minute is scheduled.
Training in the hydraulic lab, on simulators, studying the spacecraft.
So, what did you study there today?
-- We were rehearsing approach for landing.
Sergey is also a cosmonaut, Hero of Russia.
He followed his father's way.
They became the first space dynasty in the world.
The first space dynasty started
in Chuguev.
It is a town near Kharkov
and I worked there as a pilot instructor,
taught guys flying jet aircraft.
He understood that he wanted to become
a cosmonaut on the 12 of April.
The day, he flew to space Yury Gagarin.
After school he entered the flight school,
and then worked as an instructor.
And once...
At a bus stop he had a stroke of luck.
A staff officer came up to me
and said that a week ago the group commander received an order of the Commander-In-Chief
to inform the personnel
that recruitment into Cosmonaut Corps is going on.
Three weeks of medical commission,
exams and tests for stamina
flew by as one day.
Out of two thousands only nine newcomers were picked for the Corps.
Including Volkov.
Anna Volkova, the spouse of Aleksandr Volkov: A ring on the door.
I was wearing a scarf to warm my throat, Aleksandr came from Moscow,
with a sack of oranges.
Well, cosmonaut's wife,
meet your cosmonaut.
Only in 9 years he flew for the first time
-- to the Salyut-7 space station.
When the launcher takes off from the launch pad,
it is vibrating all over in there.
You can feel how powerful it is.
Reaction to this is an urge to sing.
Some do sing, I was shy, but my smile was showing that this is it
-- we are taking off.
The first trip lasted only for a couple of months.
After that he flew to space two more times,
but to the Mir station.
Aleksandr Volkov in the Mir station, singing...
But the urge to sing was always there.
There were also dangerous situations:
between life and death.
Once, after a spacewalk Volkov
and his French fellow-cosmonaut Jean-Loup Chrétien
could not lock the transfer chamber.
Only three minutes were left till the last inhale.
15 minutes were left before the space suit resource was over.
Started locking.
He says: My glass has fogged, I cannot see anything.
кислорода включив установлен может
I say: switch on the emergency air supply,
probably the fogging will be blown away,
or even try to reach and rub the fogging away with your nose.
Finally, about 10 minutes passed instead of a minute, while we were locking.
After the third flight, Aleksandr Volkov was proposed
to head the Cosmonaut Corps.
An honorable position, he agreed.
One day, during another recruitment into the Cosmonaut Corps
the personal file
of his son Sergey came to his table.
Then a serious man-to-man talk happened in the family
-- whether he knows, where he is going...
Sergey Volkov, Pilot-Cosmonaut, Hero of Russia: I grew up in this family; I grew up in Star City.
I know both people who succeeded in this profession,
and those who did not.
I just think that he made sure
that I would live up to this job.
Sergey was enrolled into the Corps.
The elder Volkov switched to ground work
-- controlling Star City (Zvezdniy gorodok).
And now he is already 65. More precisely, only 65.
In earthly standards it is quite a lot.
But in space, it is just one instant. And so many thing to do.
In space a Moon crater and a small planet were named after her.
As well as streets and squares in hundreds of cities of the Earth.
Valentina Tereshkova is the first lady cosmonaut of the planet.
It is not only in Russia that they
are preparing celebrations of the 50 years
of the flight of Chaika (Seagull), this was her call sign in orbit.
Far away in India they have already held a festival
and a photo exhibition, dedicated to Valentina Tereshkova,
and even issued a postage stamp with her portrait.
Three weeks are left before the anniversary of
the legendary Chaika flight.
This is it for today.
This was Cosmonautics program and Anna Vedishcheva.
See you soon.