Pavel Vinogradov

Pavel Vladimirovich Vinogradov (Павел Владимирович Виноградов; born 31 August 1953 in Magadan, USSR) is a former cosmonaut and commander of the International Space Station.

As of January 2023, he has flown into space three times, aboard Mir and the International Space Station, and was one of the top 10 astronauts in terms of total time in space after his third spaceflight.

Vinogradov has also conducted seven spacewalks in his cosmonaut career, and holds the record for the oldest person to perform a spacewalk.

Vinogradov is married to Irina Valentinovna Vinogradova (née Zakharova); they have one child.

His hobbies include game sports, history of aviation and cosmonautics and astronomy.

Vinogradov graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute in 1977.

Vinogradov was awarded the Hero of the Russian Federation medal.

From 1977 to 1983 Vinogradov specialized in software development for automated interactive designing systems of recoverable vehicles, development of aerodynamics and aerodyne arrangement design models, computer graphics.

In 1983 he started working for the Head Design Bureau of RSC Energia.

He worked on flight procedure verification for Soyuz-TM and Buran spacecraft, development of automated crew training systems.

He has also participated in launch preparation of the Soyuz-TM, Buran spacecraft and Energia rocket.

He was selected for the cosmonaut program on 3 March 1992 and spent the next two years in training.

From October 1992 to February 1994, he completed generic space training at GCTC.

From May 1994 to February 1995, he completed advanced test-cosmonaut training.

Vinogradov was the backup flight engineer for the Soyuz TM-22 flight, launched on 3 September 1995.

He was assigned to the Soyuz TM-24 flight, but the entire crew was grounded when the flight commander, Gennadi Manakov, experienced heart problems.

Vinogradov flew as the flight engineer on Soyuz TM-26 on 5 August 1997 with cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyev to the Mir space station.

After two days of autonomous flight the Soyuz spacecraft docked with Mir on 7 August.

The crew repaired the power cable and harness/connectors in the severely damaged Spektr module and restored much of the lost power.

They also repaired and replaced the oxygen generators in Mir.

Five of these spacewalks were in 1997 and 1998 during his stay on board the Mir space station.

His EVA time through seven spacewalks is 38 hours and 25 minutes.

On 22 August 1997 Vinogradov completed his first career spacewalk.

Vinogradov, Solovyev along and ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts returned to Earth on 19 February 1998.

The Soyuz capsule landed 30 km of Arkalyk at 09:10 UTC.

During the mission, Vinogradov spent 197 days, 17 hours, and 34 minutes in space.

In January 2004, Vinogradov began training as the ISS Expedition 13 crew commander.

The mission was launched aboard the Soyuz TMA-8 with Vinogradov and NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams from the Baikonour Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 29 March 2006.

Vinogradov served as the Soyuz commander.

After two days of solo flight, Soyuz TMA-8 docked with the ISS on 31 March 2006.

During their mission, Vinogradov and Williams hosted two NASA shuttle crews during their stay on board the ISS.

visited the ISS between 6–15 July 2006.

The main purposes of STS-121 were to test new safety and repair techniques introduced following the Columbia disaster as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter from Germany to the ISS.

Space Shuttle brought the P3/P4 truss and its solar wings to the ISS during its STS-115 mission from September 9 to 21.

The Soyuz capsule carrying Vinogradov undocked from the ISS at 5:53 p.m. EDT on 28 September 2006, and landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan near Arkalyk at 9:13 p.m. EDT.

Vinogradov was joined by NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams and Spaceflight Participant Anousheh Ansari.

Vinogradov spent 182 days, 23 hours and 44 minutes in space on board the Soyuz spacecraft and the ISS.

Pavel flew with ISS Expeditions 35 and 36, from March to September 2013.

On 12 May 2013 Pavel assumed command of the International Space Station.

Vinogradov has conducted seven spacewalks during his cosmonaut career.