Russia's Cosmonauts: Inside the Yuri Gagarin Training Center (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780387218946)

With unique photographs, first-hand interviews and previously untapped historical resources, an expert team of space-historians, for the very first time, how Russian citizens have been selected and trained to fly in space as well as how these procedures have changed during the past 40 years. The authors also describe the evolution of the often overlooked ground support infrastructure and how the role of cosmonauts has changed from the very earliest days of the Gagarin era, through the demise of the Soviet Union, to the era of international co-operation and collaboration on program such as the International Space Station. Therefore, Russia's Cosmonauts provides much needed background information and insight into the operational Soviet/Russian manned space program; revealing information and facts not covered elsewhere, and providing a unique reference source for all those who wish to understand the changing role of Russian cosmonauts in today's global space enterprise.