Andrey Babkin: "The Moon Is Our Next Goal!"

Test cosmonaut Andrey Babkin, Deputy Commander of the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps for Research and Testing, answered questions from young scientists and experts at the "Science of the Future – Science of the Young" forum.

Facets of the Profession

– Why did you decide to become a cosmonaut?

– Since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by everything beyond Earth. At first, I wanted to be an astronomer. I was drawn to the objects I observed through a telescope. Later, after finishing school, university, and military service, I realized that cosmonautics was the profession that would let me rise above Earth and reach for the stars faster.

– Who has an easier path into the cosmonaut corps: a pilot or a scientist?

– It depends on the goals of human spaceflight at the time. Today, we train as multiprofessionals. Our spacecraft is very small, designed for just three people. During a six-month expedition, each crew member must handle diverse tasks: piloting the ship and docking with the station, maintaining equipment like engineers, conducting medical experiments like doctors, and even repairing systems.

In orbit, we face factors absent on Earth—weightlessness, the strain of flying at cosmic speeds. You realize that a thin aluminum wall separates you from the vacuum of space, and a micrometeoroid could breach the station at any moment. We train for all scenarios.

To qualify for the state exam, you must pass specialized training: parachute jumps, flight drills, underwater diving, working in a spacesuit, and operating station simulators.

When spacecraft grow larger, we’ll send not just pilots but mission specialists—doctors, engineers, physicists, biologists, astronomers, and researchers. Those developing technologies for interplanetary missions or studying human survival on the Moon will have better chances. The Moon is our next goal.

– How many people are in the cosmonaut corps today?

– Around 30. The corps is constantly refreshed, with 4-5 new members joining yearly. Earlier selections varied: 7 in 2010, 12 in others, with gaps of 6-7 years between some.

Under the Protection of Earth’s Magnetic "Umbrella"

Today, we have the knowledge and tools to live and work in space—but only at 450 km altitude, shielded by Earth’s magnetosphere. What happens when we venture beyond? How will we protect ourselves from solar radiation? How will we survive оn route to the Moon or Mars? The ship must be technically reliable, medically equipped, and capable of producing food. Scientists interested in space have endless challenges here.

Hope for the Russian Orbital Station (ROS)

– How is equipment updated or replaced on the ISS? After all, technology advances, and hardware becomes obsolete.

– Replacing or repairing anything on the ISS is extremely difficult. The space station is highly complex. Equipment on its exterior is fitted with special devices that allow block replacements during spacewalks. Replacing internal equipment is simpler but still far harder than on Earth. Sometimes, reaching the repair site is impossible. The station’s structural design dates back to the 1980s—the ISS project began in 1989.

Currently, one module in the Russian segment of the ISS is non-hermetic due to microcracks. This segment has been in space for a quarter of a century—longer than any previous orbital station. We’ve never faced such issues before. With the ISS’s current design, we can’t safely remove and replace this module.

The Russian Orbital Station will be built using open architecture principles, incorporating modular replacement to allow individual modules to be swapped. This will extend the station’s operational lifespan to up to 50 years.

– What malfunctions occur most frequently on the ISS?

– All kinds, from everyday issues to technical failures. The best way to detect problems is through telemetry data analysis. Earth often learns about a malfunction before we do. Specialists at Mission Control devise solutions and provide us with repair instructions.

We urgently need a universal laser on the station that can both cut and weld materials. We also need a compact non-destructive testing device to detect microcracks.

Long-duration spaceflights are impossible without solving such challenges. Any issue affecting a ship or crew on a distant trajectory must be resolved autonomously—Earth won’t be able to help. I hope the ROS will serve as a testing ground for these tasks. The ROS is our scientific outpost.

– What research is currently being conducted?

– Experiments in technology development, biomedical studies, and Earth remote sensing. There’s a medical program where cosmonauts act as both scientists and test subjects. For example, we study calcium leaching from the blood and how the cardiovascular system functions under stress and at rest.

There’s demand for growing crystals, creating medicines, producing structural materials, and developing bioactive supplements in microgravity. However, achieving true weightlessness on the ISS is nearly impossible due to microaccelerations caused by crew movements on treadmills, engine firings, and solar panel operations.

I hope the future station will include astrophysics, medical, and technology modules for experiments in microgravity-free conditions. Such modules could be temporarily detached for autonomous flights lasting up to 30 days.

Balancing Risk and the Future

– Why do we hold such deep respect for the first generation of cosmonauts?

– They flew alone. Today, we know crews must include at least two members to assist one another—a rule that also applies to spacewalks. Alexei Leonov ventured out solo; now, pairs work together, visually monitoring each other.

One element of modern cosmonaut training inherited from the first corps is the sensory deprivation chamber. A person is isolated for 57 hours, deprived of sleep, and follows a strict schedule. This test originated during the first corps’ training due to fears that space would psychologically destabilize humans. Now we know space welcomes us peacefully.

Early missions were short. Returning cosmonauts adapted quickly to Earth. However, over time, we discovered a critical limit: after 19 days in space, a person risks death or disability upon return. Hence, daily two-hour workouts on treadmills, bikes, and resistance machines were introduced to prevent the body from adapting to weightlessness.

We’ve also learned that many requirements imposed on the first cosmonauts were unnecessary. Modern diagnostics are improving, but we must avoid overly strict selection criteria. Space should become more accessible to ordinary people.

"We Could Launch a Lunar Mission Tomorrow"

Russia’s Lunar program is now projected beyond 2035.

– What kind of rocket is needed for efficient and affordable lunar and Mars exploration?

– There are several options. I propose using the "Soyuz-5" rocket—or rather, four such rockets. They would launch flight and landing complex modules into orbit, where they’d be assembled. This approach would enable a four-person crew to reach the Moon in the near future.

Some advocate developing a new super-heavy launch vehicle, but this would require significant funding, which isn’t allocated in our current space program.

On Faith, Traditions, and Prospects

– Are there superstitions or traditions in your profession?

– Yes, inherited from aviation, the foundation of cosmonautics. Traditions are strictly observed: watching White Sun of the Desert before launches, touching the rocket’s wheel, scratching a woman’s name on the frost-covered hull, and backup crews drinking "rocket soup" (pure alcohol) for the primary crew’s success. Cosmonauts don’t sign autographs before flights or missions and avoid using the word "last."

Anyone deeply involved in cosmonautics understands how fragile the technology is and how every detail matters. Traditions are an attempt to "program" a successful outcome. As engineers and scientists, we know missions depend on hardware reliability and the people who build it—yet we also remember that thousands across the country contribute. The rocket is built in one city, the ship in another; everything is transported, assembled, and tested...

– Do cosmonauts believe in God?

– Some do, others are atheists. Everyone believes in their own way.

– Why is human spaceflight necessary, and what stages of development do you foresee?

– Yes, we have automated space stations. However, when we talk about regions explored by probes and drones, that is exploration, not settlement. However, when a human sets foot on a moon or planet, it signifies that civilization has reached a new milestone in development.

Beyond the Moon, plans include visits to asteroids. I’ve seen simulators where operations in low-gravity environments are practiced.

After Mars, the next target will be Jupiter’s moon Europa—the most likely candidate for finding extraterrestrial life. Venus is also on the agenda, though not its surface but its atmosphere at an altitude of 50 kilometers. The idea is to create an airship station that would float in the atmosphere.

To reach the nearest star, we need a major breakthrough in fundamental science. We must discover new methods of propulsion and new principles for chemical engines.

Prepared by Elena Pamurzina

Photos by Olesya Orina