Alexey Nikolaevich OVCHININ

RF Air Force Lt. Colonel, Retired
Test Cosmonaut,
Yu.A. Gagarin CTC, Russia

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:

September 28, 1971 in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region, Russia

FAMILY STATUS: married.

EDUCATION:

From August 1988 to September 1990 Alexey Ovchinin was a cadet of Borisoglebsk Higher Military Pilot School and from September 1990 to August 1992 he was a cadet of Yeisk Higher Military Pilot School, upon graduation from which he was qualified as a pilot-engineer.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

From August 1992 to February 1998 he served as an instructor pilot of Training Aviation Regiment (TAR) of Yeisk Higher Military Pilot School and from February 1998 to September 2003 he was an instructor pilot, then commander of the aviation section of Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute (MAI).

Since September 2003 and till enrollment in the cosmonaut detachment he served as commander of the aviation section of the 70th Separate Test Training Aviation Regiment of Special Purpose (OITAPON) after V.S. Seregin (settlement Chkalovskiy), Moscow Military District.

Flied Yak-52 and L-39. The total flying time is more than 1300 hours.

Ovchinin is qualified as Instructor Pilot Second Class.

By the Defence Minister Order of the Russian Federation in May-July 2012 he was dismissed from the Armed Forces into reserve.

On October 11, 2006 he was recommended for admission to Yu.A. Gagarin CTC as a candidate for cosmonauts.

On February 26, 2007 Ovchinin began to pass a two-year course of general space training.

At a period of June 16 – 22, 2008 in Sevastopol (the Ukraine) he participated in trainings in case of the descent vehicle landing on water within the preliminary crew together with Robert Terskom (Canada) and Richard Garriott (USA).

On June 2, 2009 he completed general space training (GST) having passed the state exams at CTC with a “good” mark. On June 9 at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Qualification Commission (IDQC) he was qualified as a test cosmonaut and Cosmonaut Certificate No. 205 was presented to him.

By Order of CTC NII FGBU Head on August 1, 2009 Ovchinin was appointed to a post of CTC detachment test cosmonaut.

In October 2009 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome he took part in training in Mini Research Module (MRM).

At a meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission for selection of cosmonauts and their assignment to the manned vehicles and stations on April 26, 2010 Ovchinin was certified as a cosmonaut of Yu.A. Gagarin CTC NII FGBU detachment.

In June 2012 it was reported that he was assigned to the crew of the Soyuz TMA-16M vehicle. However, in autumn 2012 Ovchinin was not approved in the crew for 2014 in connection with adopting a decision on performing an annual flight and assigning of experienced cosmonaut – Mikhail Kornienko to the crew.

At a period of September 15 – 28, 2013 on the island of Sardinia (Italy) he participated in training “for survival” in caves to acquire skills in team work in extreme conditions together with astronauts Michael Barratt, Jack Fisher, Jeremy Hansen, Paolo Nespoli and Satoshi Furukawa.

In January 2014 it was reported that he was assigned to the crew of Soyuz TMA (ISS-47/48).

On January 27, 2014 his assignment to the ISS-47/48 crew was confirmed at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission (IDC) of Roscosmos.

On January 30, 2014 Ovchinin within the ISS-47/48 crew together with Oleg Skripochka and Jeffrey Williams participated in training for actions in case of the emergency landing in a wooded/marshy area in winter.

On February 19, 2015 at a meeting of State Medical Board (SMB) at Yu.A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center he was recognized as fit for space flight as commander of the Soyuz TMA-16 M backup crew.

On March 4, 2015 Aleksei Ovchinin together with Sergei Volkov and Jeffrey Williams conducted the examination training on the Soyuz TMA-M simulator. On March 5 the crew passed the test training on the ISS Russian Segment.

On March 6, 2015 at a meeting of the State Commission at Yu.A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center he was approved as commander of the Soyuz TMA-16 M backup crew.

On March 26, 2015 at the State Commission meeting at the Baikonur Cosmodrome his appointment was confirmed.

On March 27, 2015 during the launch of the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft Aleksei Ovchinin was a backup of the spacecraft commander.

March 2016.
By the data presented by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
and site www.astronaut.ru