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Roscosmos excludes three cosmonauts from space team

Earlier, a TASS source said Sergei Volkov had submitted his resignation, while two other cosmonauts were removed from flights for medical reasons

MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. The inter-departmental commission for the selection of cosmonauts has made a decision to dismiss Sergei Volkov, Alexander Samokutyayev and Sergei Revin from the cosmonauts’ team, the press office of the Cosmonaut Training Center reported on Monday.

Earlier, a TASS source in the aerospace sector said Volkov had submitted his resignation, while two other cosmonauts were removed from flights for medical reasons.

"The inter-departmental commission for the selection of cosmonauts and their assignment to the crews of manned spacecraft and stations made a decision at its April 21 session to recommend the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center to relieve Sergei Volkov of the duties of a 1st class test-cosmonaut and cosmonaut-instructor of the cosmonaut team, Alexander Samokutyayev of the duties of a test-cosmonaut and cosmonaut-instructor and deputy commander of the cosmonaut team and Sergei Revin of the duties of a 3rd class test-cosmonaut of the cosmonaut group," the press office said in a statement obtained by TASS.

Volkov has three space flights on his record with a total duration of 547 days. He made four space walks with a total duration of 23 hours and 26 minutes. The cosmonaut made the first flight in 2008, followed by a second flight in 2011 and a third one that continued from September 2015 until March 2016.

Samokutyayev made two space flights - one in 2011 and another one in 2014. The total length of the two flights was 331 days, in which he also made two spacewalks.

Revin made one space flight in 2012, spending 125 days in outer space.

Earlier, cosmonaut Gennady Padalka who is a record-holder for the most time spent in outer space announced his decision to quit the cosmonaut team. He motivated his decision by the absence of prospects for performing his sixth space flight to set a record of 1,000-day stay in outer space. His current record is 878 days spent in outer space.