NAME: Oleg ValerievichKotov, M.D. (Colonel, Russian Air Force)
Test-Cosmonaut for Yuri A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
PERSONAL DATA: Born October 27, 1965, in Simferopol. His parents, ValeriEfimovich and Elena Ivanovna Kotov, reside in Moscow. Married to Svetlana NikolayevnaKotova (previously, Bunyakina). They have two children. He enjoys diving,computers, and photography.
EDUCATION: In 1982 Dr. Kotov finished high school in Moscow andentered the Kirov Military Medical Academy, from which he graduated in 1988.
EXPERIENCE : After graduation from the Academy in 1988, Dr. Kotov servedat the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, where he held the positions of Deputylead test-doctor and Lead test doctor.
Duringhis service he dealt with problems of altitude physiology and space flighteffects on a human body. He gained experience in practical training and medicalsupport of EVAs on the RussianMir Space Station, and was a crew surgeon and instructor for biomedicaltraining and science program training. He is a certified SCUBA diver.
Hewas selected as a cosmonaut candidate by GCTC in 1996. From June 1996 to March1998, he completed a course of basic training for spaceflight. In March 1998,he received a test-cosmonaut qualification.
SinceJuly 1998, Dr. Kotov has been a cosmonaut-researcher and test-cosmonaut of theGCTC Cosmonaut Office. From May-August 1998, Dr. Kotov trained for a flight onthe Soyuz and the Mir station as a backup crewmember to the Mir-26 mission.
SinceOctober 1998, he has been undergoing advanced training for ISS flights. Heserved as a flight engineer and Soyuz commander on the ISSExpedition-6 and ISSExpedition-13 backup crews.
FromFebruary-October 1999 he served as a Representative of GCTC (DOH) at JSC.During 2001-2002 he worked as a CAPCOM for Expedition-3 and 4 in MCC-M andMoscow Support Group in MCC-H. In 2004 he became Chief of the CAPCOM Branch inthe Cosmonaut Office.
Dr.Kotov is assigned as flight engineer and Soyuz commander on the Expedition-15mission to the InternationalSpace Station, arriving at the complex aboard a Soyuz spacecraft scheduledto launch in April 2007, for a six month tour of duty aboard the Station.
Lastupdated: November 2006.
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