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24 Dec 2022, 14:25

All Belarusian female cosmonaut candidates to go into space, Lukashenko promises

Accoirding to Belarus President, Roscosmos cosmonaut will oversee the candidates

STAR CITY /Moscow Region/, December 24. /TASS/. Each of the six Belarusian female cosmonaut candidates who will be recognized as medically fit will go into space, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko announced on Saturday.

"If they are cleared by health parameters, they will have their chance. Those who will not fly in the first expedition, will do it next time. Do not worry, there will be work for all of you," Lukashenko said during his visit to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky will oversee the Belarusian female cosmonaut candidates, he said.

Belarusian leader Lukashenko arrived on December 24 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center accompanied by State Secretary of the Russia-Belarus Union State Dmitry Mezentsev. At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Lukashenko was received by Roscosmos Head Yury Borisov, Roscosmos Executive Director for Human Spaceflights Sergey Krikalyov and Cosmonaut Training Center Chief Maksim Kharlamov.

After talks with his Belarusian counterpart Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier confirmed the intention to send a Belarusian cosmonaut to the International Space Station in 2023. Chairman of the Presidium of the republic’s National Academy of Sciences Vladimir Gusakov said that the training of the Belarusian cosmonaut was due to be completed in September 2023 and that "a woman will be the first Belarusian cosmonaut."

Roscosmos announced in late September that the list of Belarusian cosmonaut candidates had been drawn up and both the cosmonaut and the backup cosmonaut would be determined after the selection procedure at the Cosmonaut Training Center. Roscosmos told TASS on December 20 that six female candidates for a human spaceflight had arrived at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center from Belarus. They are now undergoing medical tests that will determine their fitness for a spaceflight.