Fyodor Yurchikhin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fyodor Nikolayevich Yurchikhin
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| Born | 3 January 1959 Batumi, Adjarian ASSR, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union
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| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation | Cosmonaut |
| Awards | Hero of the Russian Federation |
| Space career | |
| Roscosmos cosmonaut | |
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Current occupation
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Mechanical engineer |
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Time in space
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672 days 20 hours 38 minutes |
| Selection | 1997 RKKE Cosmonaut Group |
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Total EVAs
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9 |
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Total EVA time
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59 hours and 28 minutes |
| Missions | STS-112, Soyuz TMA-10 (Expedition 15), Soyuz TMA-19 (Expedition 24/25), Soyuz TMA-09M (Expedition 36/37), Soyuz MS-04 (Expedition 51/52) |
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Mission insignia
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Fyodor Nikolayevich Yurchikhin (born January 3, 1959) is a Russian cosmonaut. He is also an engineer and a test-pilot. Fyodor has flown on five spaceflights. His first trip to space was a 10-day Space Shuttle mission called STS-112. He then spent a long time on the International Space Station (ISS) as a flight engineer for Expedition 15. He launched for this mission in the Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft.
He had two more long stays on the ISS as part of Expedition 24 and Expedition 25. For these missions, he launched with the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft. He landed in November 2010 with the same spacecraft. Fyodor was the commander for his fourth mission on Soyuz TMA-09M. He was a flight engineer for Expedition 36 and the commander of the ISS for Expedition 37. In April 2017, Yurchikhin launched on Soyuz MS-04 for his fifth spaceflight. This was a six-month mission to the ISS as part of Expedition 51 and Expedition 52. He was the commander for this mission too.
Contents
About Fyodor Yurchikhin
Fyodor Yurchikhin was born in Batumi, Georgia, on January 3, 1959. His parents were Nikolai Fyodorovich Yurchikhin and Mikrula Sofoklevna Yurchikhina. They now live in Sindos, Greece. Fyodor is married to Larisa Anatolievna Yurchikhina. They have two daughters.
Fyodor enjoys collecting stamps and space logos. He also likes sports and learning about the history of space travel. He loves to read history books, science fiction, and classic stories.
His Education
After finishing high school in Batumi in 1976, Fyodor went to the Moscow Aviation Institute. He graduated in 1983 as a mechanical engineer. He specialized in vehicles that fly in space. In 2001, he earned a Ph.D. in economics from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
Awards and Honors
Fyodor Yurchikhin has received many important awards:
- The Hero of the Russian Federation medal (2008). This is a very high honor in Russia.
- The Order of Friendship medal (2003).
- The Order of the Phoenix from Greece.
- The NASA Space Flight Medal (2003).
- The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (different degrees in 2018, 2015, and 2011).
- He is an honorary member of important Russian space and art academies.
In 2014, Fyodor was one of five cosmonauts chosen to raise the Russian flag. This happened at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Becoming a Cosmonaut
After college, Fyodor worked at the Russian Space Corporation Energia. This was from 1983 to 1997. He started as a controller in the Russian Mission Control Center. He became a lead engineer for programs like Shuttle-Mir and NASA-Mir.
In August 1997, he joined the RSC Energia group as a cosmonaut-candidate. He completed his basic training from 1998 to 1999. In November 1999, he officially became a test cosmonaut. He began training for the International Space Station (ISS) program in 2000.
Space Missions
Fyodor Yurchikhin has flown on five missions to space. He has spent a total of 672 days, 20 hours, and 38 minutes in space. This is more than a year and a half!
STS-112 Mission
Fyodor was part of the STS-112 mission to build the International Space Station. This mission used the Space Shuttle. The crew worked with Expedition 5 to deliver and install a large part of the station called the S1 Truss. They did three spacewalks to set up this new part. The crew also moved supplies between the Shuttle and the ISS. They used the Shuttle's engines to raise the station's orbit.
The STS-112 mission lasted 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes. The Shuttle traveled 7,200,000 kilometers (about 4,473,872 miles).
Expedition 15
In 2007, Fyodor became a member of Expedition 15 on the ISS. His flight started on April 7. He launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft. He flew with Oleg Kotov and space tourist Charles Simonyi. Fyodor was the commander of the Expedition 15 mission.
He returned to Earth in the Soyuz TMA-10 capsule on October 21, 2007. He had spent 196 days and 17 hours in space. During the return, the spacecraft landed about 340 kilometers (211 miles) away from the planned spot in Kazakhstan.
Expedition 24 and 25
Fyodor was a flight engineer for the Expedition 24 and Expedition 25 missions. On June 16, 2010, he launched with NASA astronauts Douglas Wheelock and Shannon Walker. They flew aboard the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. He was also the commander of the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft.
During this long stay on the ISS, Fyodor did two spacewalks. These spacewalks helped with station maintenance and setting up new experiments. On July 26, 2010, Fyodor and fellow Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko performed a spacewalk. On November 15, 2010, Fyodor did another spacewalk with cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka.
On October 18, 2010, Fyodor even took part in the all-Russian census from space! He answered questions during a video call with Mission Control.
Fyodor returned to Earth on November 26, 2010. He had spent 163 days on the ISS. After a good landing, he went to Star City, where cosmonauts train.
Expedition 36 and 37
Fyodor was the Soyuz commander for Soyuz TMA-09M. This spacecraft launched to the ISS on May 28, 2013. It docked with the station about six hours later. His crewmates were NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano. He was a flight engineer for Expedition 36. Then he became the ISS commander for Expedition 37.
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For a short time, Fyodor was commander of a crew of nine people. This happened after the Soyuz TMA-11M docked on November 7, 2013. The nine crew members came from four different space agencies. The three astronauts returned to Earth on their Soyuz on November 11, 2013.
Expedition 51 and 52
Fyodor launched on Soyuz MS-04 for his fifth spaceflight on April 20, 2017. His crewmate was Jack D. Fischer. This Soyuz mission was the first to reach the ISS in just 6 hours. Before, it took two days. He was a flight engineer for Expedition 51. On June 1, 2017, he took command of the ISS from Peggy Whitson.
Fyodor handed over command of the station to Randy Bresnik on September 2, 2017. He returned to Earth with Peggy Whitson and Jack D. Fischer on Soyuz MS-04 on September 3, 2017. His stay in space during Expedition 51/52 was 135 days, 18 hours, and 8 minutes.
Spacewalks
Fyodor Yurchikhin has done 9 spacewalks! His total time outside the station is 59 hours and 28 minutes. This puts him among the top spacewalkers in history.
| # | Date | Partner | Duration |
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| 1 | 30 May 2007 |  Oleg Kotov |
Five hours, 25 minutes |
| 2 | 6 June 2007 | Oleg Kotov |
Five hours, 37 minutes |
| 3 | 23 July 2007 |  Clayton Anderson |
Seven hours, 41 minutes |
| 4 | 26 July 2010 | Mikhail Korniyenko |
Six hours, 42 minutes |
| 5 | 15 November 2010 | Oleg Skripochka |
Six hours, 27 minutes |
| 6 | 24 June 2013 | Alexander Misurkin |
Six hours, 34 minutes |
| 7 | 16 August 2013 | Alexander Misurkin |
Seven hours, 29 minutes |
| 8 | 22 August 2013 | Alexander Misurkin |
Five hours, 58 minutes |
| 9 | 17 August 2017 | Sergey Ryazansky |
Seven hours, 34 minutes |
| Total spacewalk time | 59 hours, 28 minutes | ||
First Spacewalks
On May 30, 2007, Fyodor began his first spacewalk. He and Oleg Kotov spent five hours and 25 minutes outside. They installed special panels to protect the ISS from space debris.
On June 6, 2007, Fyodor did his second spacewalk. He and Oleg installed an Ethernet cable and more protection panels. They also set up a Russian science experiment. This spacewalk lasted five hours and 37 minutes.
On July 23, 2007, Fyodor did his third spacewalk with NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson. They removed an old ammonia tank and installed a new camera stand. They also worked on a power supply. This spacewalk lasted seven hours and 41 minutes.
Later Spacewalks
On July 26, 2010, Fyodor and Mikhail Kornienko performed a spacewalk. They worked on the Rassvet module's automated docking system. They installed cables and replaced a video camera. This spacewalk lasted six hours and 42 minutes.
On November 15, 2010, Fyodor and Oleg Skripochka did a spacewalk. They removed two science experiments. They also installed a workstation and handrails. They tried to move a camera but couldn't. This spacewalk lasted six hours and 27 minutes.
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On June 24, 2013, Fyodor and Alexander Misurkin did a spacewalk. They prepared for a new Russian module to be added to the station. They replaced a control panel and installed clamps for future power cables. They also brought in two science experiments and installed a new one. This spacewalk lasted six hours and 34 minutes.
On August 16, 2013, Fyodor and Alexander did their seventh spacewalk. They set up a special crane and rerouted cables. This work was to get the ISS ready for the new Nauka module. This spacewalk lasted seven hours and 29 minutes. It set a new Russian spacewalk record at the time!
_Fyodor_Yurchikhin_and_Alexander_Misurkin.jpg)
On August 22, 2013, Fyodor and Alexander did their eighth spacewalk. They removed a laser communication system. They also installed a camera platform. They checked antenna covers and tightened screws. They also installed "gap spanners" to help spacewalkers move around. This spacewalk lasted five hours and 58 minutes.
On August 17, 2017, Fyodor did his ninth spacewalk with Sergey Ryazansky. They tested a new space suit. They also launched five small satellites and installed outside experiments. This spacewalk lasted seven hours and 34 minutes.
See also
- List of Heroes of the Russian Federation
