May 23, 2006. Korolev, Moscow Region.

Ceremonial events on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Corporation space corps took place at S.P Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia.
In the morning N.N.Sevastyanov, S.P.Korolev RSC Energia General Designer, other Corporation managers, space corps representatives and RSC Energia staff members laid flowers to the monument of Sergey Pavlovich Korolev, Corporation founder, Chief Designer of rocket and space systems, Academician.
After lunch, a grand meeting participated by representatives of Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, allied space companies and organizations working in piloted cosmonautics was held.
After lunch, a grand meeting participated by representatives of Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, allied space companies and organizations working in piloted cosmonautics was held.
The President, General Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC Energia N.N. Sevastiyanov congratulated the Corporation’s space corps on the remarkable date. He appreciated greatly the space corps accomplishments in implementing human space flight programs, as well as the productive cooperation with other space corps (RGNII CTC after Yu.A. Gagarin, IMBP) and astronauts from foreign space agencies. Also he wished the space corps and RSC Energia’s Flight Service further successes in executing the outlined work plans and carrying out the advanced programs. Among the programs proposed for the next 25-30 years, the Corporation’s Head highlighted the space efforts concerning the International Space Station, reusable space transportation system Clipper, embarking on industrialization of the Moon and pioneer research manned flights to Mars.
The following persons extended greetings and wishes of success to the Corporation’s space corps: Head of Roscosmos Manned Program Administration A.B. Krasnov; A.M. Soldatenkov, deputy General Designer of GNP RKTs “TsSKB – Progress” during 1999-2005 ; RSC Energia’s first Vice President, ZEM Director A.F. Strekalov; KBOM’S General Director – General Designer, academician I.V. Barmin; Head of Mission Control Center, TsNII of Machinebuilding, V.I. Lobachev; IMBP’s deputy Director, pilot-cosmonaut V.V. Polyakov; space corps commander from RGNII CTC after Yu.A. Gagarin, pilot-cosmonaut, colonel Yu.V. Lonchakov: O.D. Baklanov, Minister of General Machinebuilding during 1983-1988; the enterprise veterans of the space corps, pilot-cosmonaut A.S. Yeliseev and V.Y. Bugrov, Deputy Head of LII after M.M. Gromov, distinguished test pilot A.N. Kvochur; president of the Russian Federation of Cosmonautics, pilot-cosmonaut V.V. Kovalenok; V.D. Vachnadze, NPO Energia’s General Director during 1977-1991; Head of NASA's Moscow Office Ph. Cleary; representative of ESA's Manned Program Directorate in Moscow K. Feichtinger. The meeting participants heard the report made by the manager of RSC Energia’s Flight Service, pilot-cosmonaut A.P. Aleksandrov on the history of the space corps and Flight Service.
The International Space Station crew commander, commander of RSC Energia’s space corps P.V. Vinogradov congratulated the space corps on the 40th anniversary during TV communication session wishing his colleagues and all the participants in the grand meeting further successes in meeting current and future objectives of piloted cosmonautics. Then the ceremony of presenting the awards to the veterans and the acting members of the space corps, veterans-managers of the industry and the corporation’s flight Service was held.
Corporation’s President, General Designer N.N. Sevastiyanov presented them with RSC Energia’s memorable medals in Honour of the space corps 40th anniversary.
Roscosmos’ honorary decorations “S.P. Korolev” and “Yu.A. Gagarin”, as well as Certificates of Honour were awarded by A.B. Krasnov, Head of Manned Program Administration, on behalf of the Agency’s management and board. The Russian Federation of Cosmonautics’ president V.V. Kovalenok reported that 50 employees of the Corporation’s Flight Service, including the cosmonauts, were presented with the Federation’s medals. Also he handed over the Certificate of Honour from the Federation of Cosmonautics to A.Yu. Kaleri, Deputy Commander of RSC Energia’s space corps, pilot-cosmonaut, for the services of the corps to mankind concerning space development.

 For reference:
S.P. Korolev provided background for setting up test cosmonauts corps at OKB –1. The reason for this was the need to receive information first-hand; from engineers testing space technology who took part in design, construction, ground-based tests, prelaunch processing of rockets and satellites, interplanetary and manned space vehicles.
The pioneer civil cosmonaut who took part in space flight during October 12-13, 1964 as a research worker/cosmonaut and the crew member of Voskhod space vehicle was K.P. Feoktistov, the head of OKB-1 design team engaged in making that space vehicle. By Korolev’s order he started preparing for space flight since June 1964. The other crew members involved V.M. Komarov (commander) and B.B. Yegorov (surgeon-cosmonaut).
The history of RSC Energia’s space corps (earlier OKB-1 – TsKBEM – NPO Energia) dates back to May 23, 1966, when the Chief Designer of the Central Design Bureau of Experimental Machinebuilding (TsKBEM) V.P. Mishin by his order initiated setting up a team of test-cosmonauts, including OKB-1 engineers, for taking part in testing new Soyuz Spacecraft, as well as L1 and L3 spacecraft under the Lunar flight program. The Government Decision as of 15.06.66 legitimated setting up the first national division for training civil engineers-cosmonauts.
By now the cosmonauts from the space corps have performed 82 space flights, with a total flying time of about 24 years and a total duration of open space stay of about 400 hours. In addition, many space corps members worked repeatedly on near-earth space orbit. For instance, S.K. Krikalev had performed six space flights during 1988 – 2005; G.M. Strekalov had been in space five times during 1980-1995. Cosmonauts V.V. Rumin (1977-1998), A.A. Serebrov (1982-1994), A.Yu. Kaleri (1992-2004), Yu.V. Usachev (1994-2001) had performed four flights each.
Two women-cosmonauts had performed two flights each as the flight engineers:
S.Y. Savitskaya – as the member of visiting crew to the Salyut-7 station (1982); the flight to the Salyut-7 station with a space walk (1984);
Y.V. Kondakova – the flight to the Mir station during 169 days 5 hours (1994), 9 days 5 hours as the crew member of Atlantis space vehicle (1997).
The space corps cosmonauts N.N. Rukavishnikov (1979), V.N. Kubasov (1980), V.I. Savinykh (1985), Yu.V. Usachev (2001), N.M. Budarin (2002), A.Yu Kaleri (2003), S.K. Krikalev (2005) performed the duties of the crew commanders during the space vehicles and station flights.
V. Titov and G.M. Strekalov as the crew were the first to test the system of Soyuz T spacecraft emergency recovery system during the failed launch of launch vehicle on September 26, 1983. The flight duration was 5 minutes 13 seconds. The absolute world record by a total duration of human stay in space was set by S.K. Krikalev in 2006 and is 803 days. At the present time, the Flight Service of RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev is led by Pilot-cosmonaut, Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Alexandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov, the corporation’s space corps is headed by pilot-cosmonaut, test cosmonaut, Hero of the Russian Federation Pavel Vladimirovich Vinogradov.