The domestic history of space exploration is full of heroes. One of them is Pavel Vladimirovich Vinogradov. He began his journey in distant Chukotka and hardly even dared to hope that he would someday fly into space. But fate decreed otherwise. This man flew into orbit three times and went out into outer space as many as 7 times.
Childhood and learning
Pavel Vladimirovich Vinogradov was born in Magadan in 1953 in the family of an accountant and an engineer. The actual growing up took place in Chukotka. There, the future cosmonaut graduated from high school. In 1970, he went to work as an apprentice turner and rose to the 2nd category. By 1977, he received an education in the field of drug production, and by 1980 he completed his studies at the Moscow Aviation Institute.
Work
Pavel Vladimirovich Vinogradov has been working as an engineer since 1978 and at the same time participates in tests related to the Buran program. By 1992, he was gradually rising in positions and eventually took the place of the head of the sector of the scientific and production association Energia.
In the course of his activity, he paid much attention to the procedure for working out the actions of participants in spaceexpeditions of such ships as "Buran" and "Soyuz TM". In addition, he also participated in the development of automatic systems intended for crew training, prepared launches of spacecraft, and even worked on the docking station. Extensive knowledge in various fields allowed the hero to become who he is.
Space Training
Pavel Vladimirovich Vinogradov got into the program in 1992. Until 1994, he underwent the required training, which is mandatory for everyone who goes into space. Further, by 1995, he learned to fly and skydive, was trained in a hydro laboratory, trained to fly in zero gravity and even learned to survive. In the end, having passed all the standards and tests, this person received the status of a test cosmonaut.
Since 1995, the future cosmonaut Vinogradov receives a position in one of the units. In the same year, he was transferred to the second crew of the Euromir-95 group and was being trained for the position of a flight engineer. He eventually becomes one of the backup crew members. Until 1997, he managed to be part of another space group and even almost flew, but the illness of the direct commander prevented.
Flights
Finally, the first start happened. This happened in 1997, when a detachment of cosmonauts, which included Pavel Vladimirovich, went into orbit on the Soyuz TM-26 under the command of Anatoly Solovyov. Departing on August 5, already on the 7th they docked with the Mir station. In September it was replacedAmerican contingent, which was produced by their shuttle. Cosmonaut Vinogradov observed another such apparatus in January 1998, when US citizens were again changed. And just a few days later, in the same month, the domestic Soyuz arrived, the crew of which replaced the team. It also included our hero.
For all the time spent at the station, Pavel Vladimirovich spent more than 197 days in space. Moreover, he left the board of Mir 5 times and in total spent more than 25 hours outside the artificial orbital body. Somewhat later, Vinogradov was trained on a spacecraft of a different type. And not just like that, but as a crew commander.
Commander
Soyuz TMA-08M was the name of the ship on which Pavel finally made his first flight as a leader in 2013. By that time, Vinogradov had already turned 59 years old, and he became the oldest person from Russia who went into space. Among other things, in the same flight, an innovative docking system was produced for the first time, which reduced the time for connecting the ship to the station to only 6 hours. The cosmonaut detachment, despite numerous training sessions, immediately correctly performed all the actions, which greatly simplified such procedures in the future.
Other
In 2014, the hero of our article could potentially get into the next expedition, but later the preliminary information was not confirmed. The biography of Vinogradov is very diverse. So, in 1999 he was in the FederationCosmonautics became vice-president, and in 2003 he entered politics, becoming a deputy of one of the districts of Moscow.
In the same year, he even tried to get into the State Duma, but failed. A second attempt, made in 2009, was also unsuccessful. Among other things, Vinogradov was involved in swimming and freestyle wrestling, receiving 2nd category in both disciplines and many awards from both Russia and NASA. Pavel Vladimirovich is fond of astronomy (which is quite logical), the history of space and aviation, as well as various sports. He is a multi-faceted individual who can succeed in any endeavor.
Family
The mother of the famous cosmonaut, Lidia Safronovna Vinogradova, worked as an accountant almost all her life and is now retired. His father, Vladimir Pavlovich, who previously worked as an engineer, also enjoys a well-deserved rest. It is quite possible that it was thanks to him that cosmonaut Vinogradov decided to do what he is now known for. He also has a brother, Evgeny Vladimirovich. He found himself not in space, but in the underworld and now works as a depot foreman in Moscow.
Pavel Vladimirovich's wife, Irina Valentinovna, works at RSC Energia as an engineer, so there are definitely common themes in the family. In addition, he has three children - two from his first marriage, Roman and Victoria, and another girl, Ekaterina, from the second. Now she is studying at the Lyceum with a physical and mathematical bias, so it is quite possiblewill follow in the footsteps of his parents.
Results
Pavel Vladimirovich Vinogradov is one of those little-known heroes who move the entire space program. When humanity just went beyond the boundaries of its planet, every person who visited orbit became a celebrity. But time passed, and, despite the fact that this work did not become less difficult, and its significance not only did not decrease, but even increased, people stopped paying attention to such heroes. The popularity of the space program has recently been growing again, and humanity is again beginning to be interested in those on whom it all rests. Unfortunately, all this happens too slowly. But the smartest people of our time directly declare that we have no future without space.
