Mikhail Kornienko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mikhail Kornienko
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| Born | 15 April 1960 Syzran, Kuibyshev (Samara) Region, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
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| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Other names | Mikhail Borisovich Korniyenko |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Space career | |
| Roscosmos cosmonaut | |
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Time in space
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516d 10h 1m |
| Selection | 1998 Cosmonaut Group |
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Total EVAs
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2 |
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Total EVA time
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12 hours, 13 minutes |
| Missions | Soyuz TMA-18 (Expedition 23/24), Soyuz TMA-16M/Soyuz TMA-18M (Expedition 43/44/45/46, ISS year-long mission) |
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Mission insignia
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Mikhail Borisovich Kornienko (born April 15, 1960) is a Russian cosmonaut. He has flown on several missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
Mikhail first worked as a flight engineer during Expedition 23 and 24 in 2010. A flight engineer helps fly the spacecraft and manages its systems. Later, he was chosen for a special year-long mission on the ISS. This mission lasted from March 2015 to March 2016. It covered Expedition 43 through 46.
For this long mission, he worked with American astronaut Scott Kelly. They launched into space aboard the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft. The main goal was to study how long periods in space affect the human body and mind. The information they gathered will help prepare for future space trips. These future missions might need people to stay in space for a very long time.
Contents
About Mikhail Kornienko
Mikhail Kornienko was born in Syzran, a city in Russia. He is married to Irina Kornienko, who is a doctor. They have one daughter. His mother, Faina M. Kornienko, was born in 1931 and is now retired.
His School Days
Mikhail finished secondary school in Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 1977. From 1981 to 1987, he studied at the Moscow Aviation Institute. This is a famous school for people who want to work with airplanes and spacecraft.
Early Career and Military Service
After school in 1977, Mikhail worked at a factory that made radio equipment. In May 1978, he joined the Soviet Army. He served in the Airborne Forces (VDV) in Azerbaijan. In May 1980, he finished his military service as a junior sergeant.
From 1980 to 1986, Kornienko worked for the Moscow City Police. At the same time, he studied at the Moscow Aviation Institute in the evenings. In 1987, he graduated as an engineer who designed rocket engines. He left the police force in 1986. Then, he started working at a company that designed mechanical things.
From 1986 to 1991, Kornienko worked at the Baikonur Launch Facility. This is where rockets are launched into space. He was a specialist for launch equipment.
After that, he worked for different companies until 1995. In October 1995, Kornienko began working at the Energia Rocket Space Corporation (RSC Energia). This company is very important for Russian space missions. He helped create technical documents for astronaut training. He also took part in tests for spacewalks. These tests happened in special pools that simulate zero-gravity. He gained experience in fixing and building things outside a spacecraft. He also helped test equipment for the Mir space station.
Becoming a Cosmonaut
On February 24, 1998, Mikhail Kornienko was chosen as a possible test cosmonaut. After completing his basic training in 1999, he officially became a test cosmonaut. Since 1999, he has trained with the International Space Station group. He was a backup flight engineer for the ISS Expedition 8 crew.
In 2005, he was also a backup flight engineer for the Soyuz TMA-10 and Expedition 15 crews.
Expedition 23 and 24 Missions
Mikhail Kornienko served as a flight engineer on the Expedition 23 and 24 crews. He launched into space on April 2, 2010. He flew with Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Skvortsov and NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell-Dyson. They lifted off aboard the Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
At the end of Expedition 24, the Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft returned to Earth. It carried Mikhail Kornienko, Alexander Skvortsov, and Tracy Caldwell-Dyson. They landed safely near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on September 25, 2010.
After returning, Mikhail shared his experiences. He said he missed Earth very much. He missed smells, trees, and even dreamed of them. He even thought he smelled a real fire and barbecue! He put pictures of trees on the walls of the ISS to make himself feel better.
Spacewalks in Orbit
On July 27, 2010, Kornienko and fellow Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin went on a spacewalk outside the ISS. A few days before, they practiced in their Orlan spacesuits. They checked the suit systems and practiced moving around.
During the spacewalk, they worked on the Rassvet module (MRM1). They installed cables and replaced a video camera. The spacewalk started at 4:11 UTC. It was the 25th Russian spacewalk from the station. At one point, they accidentally lost a small object. It was likely a part to hold cables in place. The spacewalk lasted for six hours and 42 minutes.
The Year-Long Mission to Space
In November 2012, NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) chose two astronauts for a one-year mission. This mission would happen aboard the International Space Station in 2015. The goal was to collect important scientific data. This data would help with future human exploration of our solar system.
NASA chose Scott Kelly, and Roscosmos chose Mikhail Kornienko. Kelly and Kornienko launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in March 2015. They landed back on Earth on March 1, 2016. Kelly and Kornienko already knew each other. Kelly had been a backup crew member for the Expedition 23/24 crews, where Kornienko was a flight engineer.
The main goal of their year-long trip was to understand how the human body reacts to space. The information from this mission helps scientists learn about astronaut health. It also helps them find ways to reduce risks for future missions. NASA is planning trips around the Moon, to an asteroid, and eventually to Mars.
Mikhail Kornienko in Film
In 2016, Mikhail Kornienko appeared in a comedy film called Yolki 5. He played himself in the movie, along with another cosmonaut, Andrey Borisenko.
See also
In Spanish: Mijaíl Korniyenko para niños
Images for kids
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Mikhail Kornienko near floating tomatoes in the Unity Node of the ISS.
