posted 06-23-2016 04:57 PM
I have been trying to read and learn more about the subtle events and happenings of the Russian space program. One cosmonaut that kind of intrigues me is Yuri Baturin.As I understand it, he was originally brought in for training in 1997 and flew as a research cosmonaut on Soyuz TM-28/27. Based on what I have read, he was government official, so my guess was he was flown as a government representative to examine Mir and the program in general. Perhaps similar to Valeri Ryumin's Mir inspection which had happened only a couple months prior. Was that the purpose if his flight to Mir?
If that's the case, that makes perfect sense. Funding was an issue and they were trying to determine if continued Mir funding was worth it. I suppose sending a government representative is one way of doing that.
However, his story doesn't end there. He flies again to ISS on Soyuz TM-32/31. But, this time he flies as a "Flight Engineer," which based on what I have read is a title normally given only to full fledged cosmonauts. So, did he become more than a government representative after his first flight? Did he transition into that role or was he always a full fledged cosmonaut? Or, was his ISS flight much like his Mir flight?
Based on what I have seen, he would go on to become a deputy commander of one of the cosmonaut groups.
Is Baturin truly a unique story in the history of Russian spaceflight, or am I reading too much into him?
posted 06-23-2016 04:57 PM
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