Roscosmos will form a detachment of women-cosmonauts

Test cosmonaut Elena Serova , flight engineer-1 of the main crew of the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft

Roscosmos will form a women's cosmonaut squadron for flights into orbit, an anonymous source in the rocket and space industry told TASS news agency: "A full-fledged cosmonaut team will be formed from among the young women in the rocket and space industry." The source added that "the state corporation will search for candidates on its own initiative, and not wait for them to sign up."

Especially for women, it is planned to refine the existing Orlan-ISS spacesuit, including installing the elements of an exoskeleton on the spacesuit to strengthen the operator's hands when performing heavy work behind the ISS. It is obvious that such functional elements are useful not only for women, but also for male astronauts.

According to preliminary plans, Roskosmos planned to officially announce recruitment to the women's squad on January 21, but “it is not known whether these plans have been preserved.”


For reference: the astronaut is currently allocated 30 pairs of socks and 60 sets of underwear for six months. It may be necessary for women to adjust these norms and to release other models of linen, as well as to provide for the lifting into orbit of additional items of feminine hygiene.

In the 21st century, the only Russian woman-cosmonaut on the ISS is Elena Serova , who joined the 41st and 42nd main expeditions as a flight engineer. The flight duration was 167 days: from September 26, 2014 to March 12, 2015.