How an Austrian airline pilot could upstage ESA's female astronaut plans

 

Last week, the European Space Agency launched its first drive to recruit new astronauts for well over a decade, with a strong emphasis on attracting more female applicants.

However, the next European woman in Space has already begun preparing for her spaceflight, and she will be launched under a privately funded initiative, taking a ride on a Soyuz rocket, to the International Space Station, in December this year.

A source at the Yuri Cosmonaut Training Centre, said, last week, "For the first time we will send up two tourists, one of them will be Johanna Maislinger. She is included in this crew as Spaceflight Participant Number One.”

When the 35 year old Austrian adventurer's spaceflight is officially announced, by American company Space Adventures, perhaps this month, will her story inspire other women, to apply to ESA, before the May 2021 deadline? Ironically, despite being a very experienced and versatile aviator, an engineer and holding a medical degree from a top German university, Maislinger does not meet the initial requirements to apply for the ESA call, which does seem a little harsh. But she is probably not too concerned.

It’s not a secret that here at the Space Sleuthing Blog, we’ve been following tenaciously the story of Johanna Maislinger and Soyuz MS-20, which she herself revealed to us, back in 2017, before deciding to take herself off the radar. At that time, she'd just been ejected from German Woman in Space project, Die Astronautin where she'd initially been allowed to participate, despite not being German. Indeed, when she embarked on the Soyuz project, it was initially a requirement of her Berlin based sponsor, that she gave up her Austrian citizenship, and became a German. 

Soyuz MS-20 itself will be a unique spaceflight, as it is to be the first double space-tourist Soyuz mission ever. It is being flown solely because Space Adventures, currently still the only company to send space tourists or spaceflight participants, into orbit, and to the ISS, has been able to create the demand. It will be flown by a single cosmonaut, Alexander Misurkin, and the Soyuz controls have been re-engineered to facilitate this. The other Spaceflight Particpant may be a Japanese woman, but their identity has not be revealed, so far.

When announced in February 2019, it was billed as the first ever private manned spaceflight, although with SpaceX and Axiom Space also planning to fly non-professional astronauts, this year, or in early 2022, it’s unclear who will actually claim this cosmic ‘first’.

But Johanna Maislinger probably doesn’t care about those small details. A Boeing 777 captain, with Lufthansa associate, Aerologic, she is, on the face of it, a pretty smart woman. She sees a flight into Space as a logical way to combine her skills, qualifications and thrill-seeking nature. And she’s found someone who is prepared to pay around $45 million, for her to do it! A remarkable, and unprecedented achievement in itself. 

Maislinger participates in a number of adventurous sports and she counts a number of Austrian and German celebrities among her friends. She has been unmoved by the online circus which has built up around her, since she claimed back in 2017, that ‘someone in Berlin is very interested to send me into Space', ignoring all media approaches and attention. 

That ‘someone in Berlin’ has never been fully identified. Some sources in Germany have suggested that a company called Interstellar Ventures, run by Sebastian Straube, are behind Maislinger. Straube and his co-director have fuelled this speculation by refusing the make any comment. As mentioned, in 2017, she had claimed that she would have to take up German citizenship, to meet her sponsor’s requirements, and to become the ‘First German Woman in Space’. But, we know that she remains an Austrian national, at least according to documents shared with the Space Sleuthing team by contacts at Roscosmos, the Russian Space Agency.

For two years, from 2017, Maislinger’s claims seemed unlikely and rather absurd. Who would pay that $45million to send her into Space? And why? But, in July 2019, Space Adventures revealed that she was actually on their potential client list. A year later, in August 2020, Roscosmos announced that two Space Adventures clients had signed contracts to fly on Soyuz MS-20. Numerous well connected sources in Russia, including some inside Roscosmos, immediately confirmed that they understood that Maislinger was one of them. 

Space Adventures official line is always the rather unconvincing 'we neither confirm or deny anything', but individuals contacts in their US office have, through their careless words and actions, given clear indications that Maislinger should fly on MS-20. 

In September 2020 a TV production company, began shooting her backstory, initially shadowing her as she commanded a DHL-branded 777-200 from Leipzig to East Midlands and back. The TV company, KG Media Factory, later indicated that their filming was linked to the spaceflight project. 

Soon after, one of her Aerologic flightdeck colleagues spoke to us about Maislinger, "There is some chat on our flightdecks about Johanna's plans, but I don't know anyone who has actually spoken to her about it. It probably wouldn't be fair to do that, at this stage"  

Another aviation colleague said, "I can definitely believe that Johanna would love to do this, but how she'd persuade someone to pay such a vast sum of money. Good luck to her, if she has!"

Back August 2020, Roscosmos had said the clients for MS-20 would be named in ‘early 2021’. However, this has not yet happened. Maybe CoVid-19 travel restrictions caused some issues or delays.

Another possible factor, is that we know that Maislinger suffered some sort of mishap, in late 2020, in which she sustained multiple fractures. She returned to her job at Aerologic, in January 2021, but whether this incident impacted on her general fitness, or timely medical clearance from Russia, is unclear. We have asked Space Adventures about this aspect, but as always, their response was "No comment".

An enquiry to the very helpful Roscosmos Press Office, in mid-February was met with a rapid, but inconclusive response, that “The Soyuz MS-20 crew will be announced in due course, we have no additional information for you now.” However, they did acquiesce to the publication of this text.

But, in late-February, and on a more helpful note, an employee at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “As far as the flight of the Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft is concerned, there are no changes to the planned crew…. for the first time we will send up two tourists, one of them will be Johanna Maislinger. She is included in this crew as Spaceflight Participant Number One.”

A second source remarked, “She hasn’t appeared at our Centre yet, but she, and the other space tourist, will need to come here soon, to complete the Winter Survival Training. This will be essential, as the crew will be launched, and will land, in December.” 

So, when will Johanna Maislinger actually appear at Star City, and keep her plans, and dreams, on course?  

Will she update the tag line in her Social Media accounts that currently says ‘would love to visit the Moon…’ to 'I am going to visit the ISS...'   

And, going back to where we started, will official confirmation of her plans help ESA's push to attract more women to their 2021/2 call for new astronaut recruits?

© Tony Quine  February 2021

 

 

 

 

Soyuz plans for 2021

 

Soyuz plans unclear as Gagarin 60^th Anniversary approaches

 

In April, it will be 60 years since Yuri Gagarin took mankind’s first tentative step in to Space, onboard Vostok 1. This presents a golden opportunity for Russia to celebrate this occasion, by not only reflecting on past achievements and influence in manned spaceflight, but to showcase new milestones, and to re-ignite public interest, and enthusiasm, for cosmonautics.

But will this happen? As we enter Gagarin’s anniversary year, all these things are possible, but at this moment detailed planning for Soyuz flights in 2021, seems unclear and even disorganised.

Russia plans to launch three Soyuz MS flights, and two Expedition crews to the International Space Station in 2021, to support ISS operations, and the long-awaited arrival of the ‘Nauka’ science module. Roscosmos, with entertainment and media partners, would like to send an ‘ordinary’ citizen into Space in the person of an as- yet-unknown actress, and at the end of the year, to re-start orbital ‘space tourism’ after a twelve-year gap.

The three flights Soyuz MS-18, MS-19 and MS-20 have been in the flight roster for a couple of years. The hardware is in the pipeline; Soyuz MS-18 and its carrier rocket are already at Baikonur. But with less than three months to go until that first launch, crewing plans for all three missions are in a fairly confused state.

Politics, and money, appear to be driving the schedule, rather than Space Science, or celebrating Gagarin.

Until a few months ago, plans seemed fairly straight forward. With NASA dependence upon Soyuz ending with Kate Rubins’ launch on Soyuz MS-17, in October 2020 (at a cost of an eye-watering $90 million) MS-18 and MS-19 were to be routine crew exchange missions carrying all Russian crews, of ISS expedition members. Prime and back-up crews were provisionally in place.

Indeed, in November 2020, the crew of Oleg Novitsky, Pyotr Dubrov and Sergei Korsakov had been revealed as the first all-Russian crew to fly to the ISS, in its history. This was due to happen on 9^th April 2021, on Soyuz MS-18, just three days before the 60^th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight. Their back-ups would be Anton Shkaplerov, Andrei Babkin and Dmitri Petelin who, in the usual pattern of these things, would then fly the following mission MS-19, on 5^th October. All, except the two commanders, are rookies, but all have been trained for the arrival and commissioning of Nauka, currently due to be launched in July 2021, after well over a decade in development.

However, within a few weeks of that crew announcement, photographs were published, by both NASA and Roscosmos showing five of the six cosmonauts mentioned above, training in Houston, with NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei. Andrei Babkin was the missing cosmonaut, whilst Vande Hei had been the back-up to Rubins, and so had previously trained with Novitsky and Dubrov, for MS-17. These images raised a few questions, and within days, rumours began to surface that Vande Hei might be flying on MS-18, in April.

As NASA has no further Soyuz seats purchased, the potential deal was being negotiated by Axiom Space, presumably acting as an agent for NASA, or perhaps under some arrangement where Vande Hei would become a temporary employee of Axiom? This would seemingly be a mechanism to circumvent NASA procurement processes and conclude a deal quickly. With launch of Soyuz MS-18 under three months away, it is obvious that this matter needs to be concluded rapidly, but at the moment of writing, no official announcement has been made by any party, and photos continue to emerge of the all-Russian crew now training in Moscow.

 

It’s worth mentioning, at this point, that both NASA and Roscosmos have previously committed to the principle of exchanging seats on each other’s spacecraft. This is known as the ‘barter scheme’ and would mean that a cosmonaut would fly to the ISS on either Space-X Dragon or Boeing Starliner, and NASA astronauts would continue to fly on Soyuz. No money would change hands, and the arrangement would mean that both agencies would be assured of a continuous presence on the ISS, in the event of a major problem on a future crew exchange mission. The Russian side are not yet ready to begin this arrangement, presumably wanting to see more the Dragon, and later the Starliner, a little more flight proven.

It is well known that the end of NASA purchasing Soyuz berths has left a substantial hole in Roskosmos finances, and although several tourist and commercial Soyuz flights are in the pipeline for 2021 to 2023, the cashflow from these, is months and years away. So, the notion of selling a seat to Axiom is probably quite attractive to Roscosmos. The trade-off, is that there would be no prestigious all-Russian crew to celebrate Gagarin’s anniversary, and they would lose the presence of third crewman, for at least six months. As Novitisky and Dubrov are the most trained for the arrival of Nauka, it would probably be Sergei Korsakov who would miss out.

But why might NASA want to fly Vande Hei, at such short notice? The most logical answer, is that there is a concern, within NASA, that if the scheduled exchange of US crews, Dragon Crew-1 to Crew-2, due in late April was delayed, or significantly disrupted, there are various scenarios where the crew of Soyuz MS-18 would be alone on ISS, with no NASA presence. Exactly the situation which the future barter scheme is intended to prevent.  

To muddy the waters further, in January 2021, Andrei Babkin was removed from the back-up crew, on medical grounds. This latest development is very sad for Babkin. He had previously trained for the Nauka related missions with Nikolai Tikhonov who was grounded last year, and who later left the cosmonaut squad after fourteen years of flightless preparation. Babkin was replaced by the very experienced Oleg Artymev, who looks like an over-qualified placeholder, for a back-up MS-18 crew which is unlikely to actually fly, but which is needed to support the prime crew, less than three months before launch. After this assignment, he'll probably revert to his previous planned slot as commander of Soyuz MS-21, due in 2022.

The situation with the Soyuz MS-19 crew, due to launch on 5^th October, is even more confused. Nominally, it is currently the original Soyuz MS-18 back-up crew; Shkaplerov, Babkin and Petelin that is provisionally assigned. Anton Shkaplerov's place, as commander, seems pretty solid, regardless of what else happens. It seems unlikely that Babkin will reappear, so quickly after being removed from the previous back-up crew. If Vande Hei does fly, that will mean Korsakov is bumped from MS-18, so he becomes available for MS-19. So that would give us a new nominal crew of Shkaplerov, Korsakov and Petelin.

However, firstly we have to consider the proposed 'Movie in Space Project' described here named “The Challenge”. This involves sending a Russian actress to the ISS which would require at least one seat to be freed up for the, as yet, unknown woman. Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos has thrown his weight behind this proposal, as a means of popularising spaceflight, in Gagarin’s anniversary year, and is one of the Executive Producers, named in the movie’s initial media release.

From the outside, it is impossible to judge how many actresses, or other qualified women have applied. This author has interviewed a couple, Svetlana Savina and  Anastasia Barannik. TV channel, ‘First Channel’ and Roscosmos encouraged participants to signify their participation by using the hashtag #хочувкосмос, on Social Media.  Around eighty have done so, and a handful of well-known actresses have confirmed their wish to enter. Otherwise, we have no clues on the level of interest.

However, the suggestion has met some opposition. Several prominent spaceflight observers have expressed concern that Roscosmos appear to be putting entertainment before science, and are diminishing the role and skills of professional cosmonauts, some of whom have trained for a decade, while waiting for their first flight.

Deputy Prime Minister, Yuri Borisov also spoke out during an interview with Moscow journalist, Inna Sidorkova, making it clear that he did not support the notion that Roscosmos might be bank-rolling a commercial project. “It is probably necessary to publicise the achievements of Russian cosmonautics……. If they find sponsors who will pay for the actors' stay in orbit and this does not interfere with the main scientific programme of the ISS, then by all means, let them film…….. but, I can tell you for sure that as long as I am in this position, I will not ignore any proposal for funding a feature film at public expense.”

So, it looks very much as though political heavyweights, on opposing sides of the argument, will determine whether this interesting project, clearly conceived to upstage Tom Cruise, will happen. According to the timeline which Roscosmos and the ‘First Channel’ announced in November, a short list of actresses, and other qualified women, would be made by the end of January. So, once again, some updated information should be imminent.

In addition, the third seat on Soyuz MS-19 could, according to Roscosmos sources, in December, also be occupied by another non-professional cosmonaut. There have been assumptions, among many commentators, that this would be another person connected to the movie. The name of the Director, Klim Shipenko, has even appeared on Wikipedia, in this connection. Certainly, someone will have to be a camera operator and/or sound recordist, and if this is not a specialist, a cosmonaut will have to do it!

Other sources have suggested that a paying Spaceflight Participant could fly. Space Adventures have their pioneering dedicated ‘double-tourist’ mission, due to fly in December, of which more, later. But, Glavkosmos, the commercial arm of Roscosmos is also now offering commercial Soyuz seats, from 2022. However, their Press Office have confirmed that they have no seats available on this flight, so this rumour seems doubtful.

Connected to all these scenarios will be the flight duration for the MS-18 crew. Commander Novitisky will doubtless return to Earth on MS-18, after MS-19 arrives, but who he'll have with him is anyone's guess? If the movie happens, Dubrov would probably have to stay ISS for a year, until Spring 2022, and perhaps Vande Hei too. Or maybe the third seat on MS-19 (up) will be another NASA astronaut to replace him? Oleg Novitsky will probably return to Earth with any two from Korsakov, Dubrov, Vande Hei, the Actress, the Movie Producer, SFP!! 

In all this, there are several circumstances where Novitsky (landing) and Shkaplerov (launch) might have to fly with two non-professional passengers. This requires modification to Soyuz software and special training, for which, as far as we are aware, only Alexander Misurkin and Sergei Prokopyev are currently training, in preparation for Soyuz MS-20. This also needs to be factored in to training, logistics and risk assessment processes and planning. Nothing in any of this is easy.

And then there's Soyuz MS-20, the Space Adventures double tourist mission, for which the original contract was signed in February 2019, and is due to launch on 8^th December for a twelve-day ISS visit. This will be the first Soyuz to carry two paying ‘Spaceflight Participants’ (SFP) and is being flown specifically for this purpose. As mentioned above, cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin and Sergei Prokopeyev have been working with Soyuz designers and engineers on modifications to the Soyuz MS interfaces, to allow it to be flown by a single cosmonaut, with the SFP’s being literally passengers, during the active phases of the flight.

Although no official announcement has been made, Misurkin is expected to command this mission. Two clients had signed-up for the flight by Summer 2020, according to previous statements from both Roscosmos and Space Adventures, and their identities were due to be revealed in January. Whilst there are still a few days of January remaining, it seems likely that this ‘reveal’ will be delayed, as travel to and from Russia is still restricted, and may not be a particularly attractive option, for those Space Adventure’s clients, until the travel and infection risks reduce.

And, is there any rush? Looking back at previous Space Adventure’s clients, in the period 2001-2009, they have generally been officially revealed, and begun training in Moscow, around six months before their planned launch. On that basis, it might be May or June 2021, until their identities need to be released. Space Adventures have previously said that such announcements are made in conjunction with their clients, who clearly need to be ready to synchronise their own PR, and handle any media attention which may ensue.

The duo who signed the contracts are understood to be an as yet unnamed, Japanese female pop singer, and the Austrian pilot and extreme sportswoman Johanna Maislinger. Both will fly with support from commercial sponsors.

It is possible that others candidates are in the background. Space Adventures will want to have back-ups, either to generate more revenue by selling the ‘back-up experience’ or to have genuine alternative candidates for the actual flight. There is a long history of non-professional cosmonauts dropping out, for one reason or another, Enomoto (2006), Ko San (2008) and Brightman (2015), are obvious examples.

Indeed, it is known that Maislinger may already have a problem, as she had some sort of accident, towards the end of 2020, in which she suffered several fractures. It is possible that this may remove her from contention for this mission, depending on her recovery, and any long-term impact. Neither Space Adventures, or her apparent sponsors, German venture capital outfit Interstellar Ventures GMBH, would make any comment on any Maislinger’s current status. As we said, it is possible that other candidates, who have managed to keep a lower profile, could still emerge. 

If the plan above holds up, the two women will be the first orbital SFP’s since 2009, but the pace is about to pick up. The very helpful Glavkosmos Press Office have confirmed that they plan to have four seats available, on dedicated tourist or commercial flights, in 2022/3, and that they too are already negotiating with potential clients. Furthermore, if demand is there, they may accommodate additional clients on crew rotation flights. However, Glavkosmos do not envisage any involvement in Soyuz MS-20, which is Space Adventures exclusive mission.

 

What seems clear in all this, is that with funds from NASA drying up, Roscosmos, through Glavkosmos, are seeking to develop new income streams from their future Soyuz flights. While Space Adventures seem likely continue to play a role in this, and they have a further Soyuz contracted for 2023, Glavkosmos should emerge as an strong alternative and rival. Some of this income generation will be driven by the deals which are already contracted, some seem to be predicated on seizing short notice opportunities, as they arise.  

Are the critics who suggest that Roscosmos are putting money ahead of science right?

Will Roscosmos be able to put on a display befitting of the Gagarin anniversary, and which will put Russian cosmonautics in the spotlight?

Will the Russian public pay more attention to manned spaceflight, in 2021, than in any other year?

Perhaps, those are questions to be answered in January 2022.

 

© Tony Quine January 2021

 

   

 

 

Russian Movie in Space Part 4

 Elizaveta Zaretskaya - ready for an acting job in orbit!

When we last visited “The Challenge” project, several weeks ago, the window for women to submit their applications was still open. It was closed on 31st December, just as Russia entered the long New Year and Orthodox Christmas holiday. If the organisers follow their original schedule they should spend January identifying and calling around 30 candidates to the next stage. As part of the efforts to encourage interest, anyone interested in entering was asked to use the hashtag #хочувкосмос, on social media posts, videos etc. Some women have done this, but our impression is that the number is quite small – probably under 100. That said, perhaps not everyone, and especially professional actresses want to advertise their plans, in this way. Time will tell.

In addition, since our piece on this topic, their has been a little more opposition to the project, in the political sphere, so the organisers still have some hurdles to overcome, if they are to get their actress into Space, in none months.

Meanwhile, we’ve been talking to another adventurous young woman who is ready to rise to the challenges. Elizaveta Zaretskaya is 31. She is a talented singer, musician and song-writer, with her own fitness business, and taste for adventure. She has a significant presence on social media, with a very active, and vibrant, Instagram account, which has 32,000 followers.

 What did Liza think, when she first saw the project advertised, in October? “

“Honestly, the first thing that popped into my mind was ‘Why the hell not?’. We only get one shot at life and there is nothing more amazing to do with that shot than going into space. And when such opportunity presented itself, I knew that I had to give it my all. I also thought, ‘Who else can do it, if not me?’. My life has been filled with challenges that I’ve faced and overcame and it seem fitting that the film will be called ‘The Challenge.’ To me, it’s a challenge that I cannot back down from. I have dreamed of going into space all of my life.”

Our interviews for the Space Sleuthing Blog have shown that this project especially appeals to young women who have already enjoyed extreme sports, and who are not fazed by taking calculated risks, and Liza fits this profile.

“All of my life I have been very active and I have an abundance of experience in skydiving. I have over 100 jumps, more than 300 hours in high tier wind tunnel. I have mastered free fly and dynamic free fly, which encompasses various complex acrobatic maneuvers in the air. Additionally, I am an avid motorcycle rider, with years of experience, as well as a surfer and skier. Ultimately, I am very adaptive and accustomed to extreme and high-risk environments.”

The initial requirements of the ‘Challenge’ set out fairly strict physical and fitness requirements. First and foremost, the successful candidate will need to meet the strict physical and psychological dimensions required to be a cosmonaut. In this project, these will be more important than acting skills or experience. How is Liza tackling these specifications?

“I am taking this competition very seriously and therefore made the decision to get ahead in this regard. I have worked as a coach for years and now run my own stretching school, in which I assist my students in getting more agile and flexible for their athletic needs. I have also already started preparations for this spaceflight. I have daily running, swimming and weight routines that I follow. On top of my experiences outlined above, I began training the same day as I found out about the competition. I have 2-3 sessions a day which include swimming, running as well as endurance and cardio training. All of these are guided by professional trainers.”

But, what about the performing, acting and artistic side of the project?

“I write and perform my own songs and music. I am a capable musician and singer. In 2019, I held my first concert to perform my album in Moscow, to which over 200 people showed up. Later, I had the pleasure to perform live in front of over a thousand people at a business congress. I have experience as an author, composer and performer. Public speaking is another area in which I have a generous amount of expertise. I had the pleasure to deliver presentations as a motivational speaker, as well as a businesswoman at various business forums at Citrix 24 congress. Regarding acting, I have my own blog on Instagram that I update daily for tens of thousands of people. Naturally I must possess charisma and make every post and live event entertaining to maintain an audience of this size.”

So, how does Liza sum up her overall passion and motivation to participate, in “The Challenge”? How does she feel about sitting on top of a rocket, waiting to be fired into Space?

“I consider this project to be wild and a little bit mad. But it’s precisely things like this that captivate me. I love doing extraordinary things, defying expectations and doing what most people only dream of. Going to space is exactly that. It is the craziest, extraordinary and, dare I say, coolest thing I could ever do in my life.”

“The things that would incite fear in most people, awakens a wild fascination in me. I always yearn to test myself in extreme conditions. There is no more satisfying feeling then knowing that I was able to face the challenge and overcome it where others would turn away. I imagine that when I would approach the rocket, I would feel pride, anticipation, most importantly, joy. The joy of knowing that this is happening. That I am onboard a spaceship and am about to reach the stars!”

As we said earlier, the next few weeks should move this project to the next stage. Here at the Space Sleuthing Blog, we wish Liza, and our earlier interviewees, Svetlana Savina  and Anastasia Barannik success in reaching the final thirty candidates, and would love to see one of them, eventually make it into Space!

Interstellar Ventures

Are German VC providers, Interstellar Ventures, ready to fund first privately sponsored human spaceflight?

Likely sponsor of Austrian pilot's spaceflight plans identified.

The Space Sleuthing Blog has been reporting the bizarre story of Johanna Maislinger, for over three years.

Who is Johanna Maislinger? Well, she is a regular airline pilot, born in Austria, but who has worked, studied and lived in Germany, for the last 11 years. In 2016, she was allowed to enter the ‘German Woman in Space Project – Die Astronautin’ despite not being German. After she was eliminated, at the final thirty stage, she began to pursue her own project to get herself into Space.

The whole story can be read Here.

Bizarrely, Maislinger had told other candidates in 'Die Astronautin'  that she was eliminated because she could not obtain her German citizenship, in time. In truth, she had simply failed the assessment carried out my the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine. Looking back, that untruth now makes sense. If any would-be sponsor had been aware of the facts, they would quickly lose interest in her. She needed a good cover-story to stop that happening.

What began with a seemingly casual comment, in April 2017, “Someone in Berlin is very interested to send me into Space…” has evolved into a three year relationship with Space Adventures, the world’s leading Space Tourism provider. Her name is on the lips of cosmonauts, instructors and officials at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, and her details appear on every credible internet projection of Soyuz space crews, for 2021. She even has her own  Wikipedia page.   

Although numerous people have tried to organise a spaceflight through private sponsorship before, regardless of what happens from here, Maislinger has got closer to success than anyone before her. As we enter 2021, she seems to be on the very brink of being named to crew of the Space Adventures  organised Soyuz MS-20 flight, due to launch to the ISS next December!

But, with around 30,000 views of this Blog, in the last two years, the most popular question, in various forms, has been, “Who would pay $40-$50 million to send this woman into Space, and why?”

For three years, there has been no easy answer to that question.

However, in December 2020, a number of sources, connected to the ‘Die Astronautin’ project, recalled that in 2017 another ‘German Citizen in Space’ project emerged briefly. One report, from a source very closely associated to ‘Die Astronautin’ indicated that they understood this project was about to reappear. Further investigations indicated that this ‘German Citizen in Space’ project emerged in Berlin, and then vanished, at exactly the same time that Maislinger was starting to talk about her plans, and her sponsor, before she also vanished.

So, what do we know about the ‘German Citizen in Space’, and who was behind it?

Several contacts in Germany who recalled this short-lived project, being announced in April 2017, connected it to a Berlin-based Venture Capital company, Interstellar Ventures GMBH  set up in 2016, by entrepreneur, Sebastian Straube.

This company, when launched, was reported to have access to in excess on Euro 100 million, in Venture Capital funding, through a network of VC Investors, Family Offices and Business Angels. Clearly, this organisation presents itself as having access to sufficient resources to fund a private spaceflight, at a cost of around US$50 million. But, the return they would get is more difficult to determine, apart from the publicity of being the innovators who funded the first ever private orbital Spaceflight? Or perhaps, one of Straube's wealthy associates simply wants to help Maislinger fulfill her seemingly impossible dream, and generate substantial 'bragging rights', in the process?

Clearly, when faced with such clues, and circumstantial evidence, that Interstellar Ventures and Herr Straube had the opportunity, timing, motivation and resources to back Maislinger, the most obvious step was to ask them! If there is no connection, it would be logical for them to say so.

However, they have chosen not to make any comment, whatsoever.

In pursing the Maislinger story, for three years, we have approached numerous organisations or individuals who may have been involved. There has been a clear pattern of responses. Those who are not involved say so, clearly and unambiguously. This includes such blue-chip names as Siemens, Red Bull, Airbus, Lufthansa, ESA. 

Conversely, those who are involved, Space Adventures, Aerologic (Maislinger’s employer), DHL and Maislinger herself, remain evasive and silent. At this point, it seems reasonable to add Interstellar Ventures to that list.

In October 2020, just as negotiations and contracts would have been reaching a critical stage, a new company, Interstellar Ventures LLC,  was registered in the US state of Delaware. Coincidence?

So, whilst we cannot say with absolute certainty that Interstellar Ventures and Sebastian Straube are facilitating Maislinger’s funding, and her eventual launch into Space, as long as they do not distance themselves from the suggestion, they are certainly in pole position.    

In August 2020 both Space Adventures, and the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, confirmed that two clients* had signed up for the Soyuz MS-20 trip, and the clients would be named in January 2021. Conversations with personnel at Space Adventures** and Roscosmos confirmed that Maislinger was one of those two, and her name was familiar to many people at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre.

However, this January deadline seems unlikely to be met, due the travel and other logistical considerations connected to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In addition, crewing plans for the two Soyuz flights due earlier in 2021 are currently in a state of flux. So, it currently seems more likely that any announcement from Space Adventures will come, no earlier than March.

Whether all parties are likely to be able to close the deal, was discussed in this earlier Blog. 

*The other client is understood to be a Japanese singer/actress, whose name we don't wish to reveal, at this stage. 

**Space Adventures are always keen to stress that they have never made any official comment about Johanna Maislinger, or any other client.

 

Russian Movie in Space Part 3

 

Second sky-diver reveals her bid for Spaceflight

Since the last update on this project, at the Space Sleuthing Blog, not too much has happened, at least as far as the public, and the applicants, are concerned. The closing date for applications for actresses and other qualified women, was extended to 31^st December 2020. This suggested that, perhaps, interest was a little slower than the organisers had hoped, although with a fairly tight deadline, until the planned launch, in October 2021, a one month slippage seems quite significant. (Russia looking for woman to steal Tom Cruise thunder)

A number of Russian actresses and TV presenters have expressed interest in participating, including Zoya Berber and Regina Todorenko,  although how serious, or well-qualified (apart from being professional actresses) any are, remains to be seen. In addition, Channel One encouraged potential candidates to share their audition video using the hashtag #хочувкосмос.  Again, the numbers doing so, suggest there are not a huge number of applicants.

We’re also delighted to have talked to another promising, skilled and enthusiastic candidate, who has submitted an application, and who hopes to be called to the next stage of the selection process, early in 2021.

Anastasia Barannik came to prominence in Russia, and beyond, several years ago, as a teenage sky-diver, competing in International competitions, while combining that extreme sport with her successful modelling career. She now is a Master of Parachuting, and a twice champion of Russia in her class, and a bronze medalist at the Sky-Diving World Cup, having now completed over 1300 jumps.

Back in 2018, Anastasia had told a lifestyle magazine that her next goal was to try and fly into Space, but she had quickly realised this was an incredibly difficult dream to achieve.

Asked about her reaction to news of the Movie in Space project, Anastasia, now 25, explained,  “When I first heard about this competition I was consumed with complete excitement, and a desire to participate, by any means. I could see that it was an unbelievable opportunity that needed to be seized. To even have such a chance to fly in space is a dream come true.”

She added, “Not too long ago I had the amazing opportunity to visit Star City and go through some of the training which cosmonauts undergo. This included the centrifuge, (to 3.8G) vestibular simulator and a flight on an Illyushin IL-76, where I experienced weightlessness on ten parabolas in the air. All my medical readings were normal, and I completed all the tests with flying colours. Flying in a aerobatic jet plane, and experiencing significant G-Forces is something else I have handled, without problems.”

Although Anastasia does not consider herself an actress, her modelling career has given her many opportunities to perform, and to project her personality. She explained, “In addition, because I've been dancing and modeling for many years, the stage, the camera, filming, shooting, and performances are no strangers to me. I’ve also done some acting in TV commercials.”

Regarding the physical fitness requirements, Anastasia feels positive, “Sport has been an integral part of my life, ever since I was a child and still is. I am confident that I can meet all the physical and athletic requirements and cope with all the challenges.” I am not afraid of any difficulties, and I am ready to perform the required tasks and move towards the goal.”

Clearly, the organisers have not set out all the requirements which contestants will face during the planned Reality TV show, due to begin in late January. At some point, this will included the centrifuge, and other trials which Anastasia has already completed, during her visit to Star City. 

It terms of the spaceflight itself, and exactly how the flight plan is structured, Anastasia naturally has some gaps in her knowledge, at this early stage. “I haven't studied the details of the actual spaceflight in depth yet, but my interest has always been there and I have a general understanding and idea of what is involved. I know that I am ready, both mentally and physically, to do this. The idea of climbing aboard the rocket, and being launched into space, doesn't worry me at all. I feel that it will be the happiest moment of my life. To serve art, science, and my country, would be everything.”

 “When achieving my goals in life and triumphing in one field or another, the last thing I thought about was fame and fortune. I was always driven only by the desire to overcome obstacles. To improve my skills, and to put my best foot forward.

To conclude her thoughts, Anastasia believes participating in this project is her fate. “Just ahead of us, is the New Year, 2021, which means it's wish-granting time. I have always believed in fairy tale, in miracles, in good things happening.”

Looking at Anastasia’s story, and also Svetlana, who we talked to here Svetlana's bid for Space there maybe a comparison, and a synergy, with the last time Russia looked for an ‘ordinary’ woman to send into space, in double quick time! 

On that occasion, in 1963, a parachutist, Valentina Tereshkova, was chosen. Maybe, almost 60 years later, a parachutist, such as Anastasia, or Svetlana, will again turn out to be the best choice!

By late January, we should begin to see if this project is going to proceed, and who the first group of candidates will be! Good luck to Anastasia and Svetlana, in making the very important ‘first cut’’.

Russian Movie in Space Part 2

 

Russian Movie in Space..................an update

It’s almost a month since the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, and their partners at Channel One TV, Moscow, announced their project to film a movie in space, next October and to find an actress, either professional or amateur, to play the leading role.

This appeared to be a last minute effort to upstage the plans of Tom Cruise, to also film on the International Space Station, in late 2021, although official confirmation of that project, is still awaited

Original Space Sleuthing Report


They launched an online competition to encourage applications from recognised actresses, and ‘ordinary’ women, between 25 and 45, who were interested in taking on the joint challenge of acting in the planned movie, and making a Soyuz spaceflight. Applicants who pass this online screening process will be called to face-to-face auditions, in early December.

So, with the first declared milestone – those face to face auditions - approaching, what else has happened?

Probably the most significant announcement came when Roscosmos revealed that a second seat on the Soyuz would be occupied by a non-professional cosmonaut. Although not explicitly stated, it is assumed that this will be someone connected to the movie, perhaps another actor, a camera operator, or the director. There is no indication how, or when this person will be selected.

What it does mean, is that two, rather than one cosmonaut, will now have an extended twelve month stay, on the International Space Station, and the Soyuz used for the launch, Soyuz MS-19, will have to be adapted to be flown by a single professional cosmonaut, as no Soyuz has previously flown with two ‘passengers’. This was a technique due to be introduced on the planned space tourist mission, arranged by Space Adventures, Soyuz MS-20, which is due to launch two months after the movie shoot is completed.

Regarding possible candidates for the movie role, and the spaceflight, a number of Russian actresses, TV personalities and journalists have revealed their intention to apply. However, it is difficult to judge how many, if any at all, of these are serious, and how many are just trying to draw attention on social media.

At Space Sleuthing, we’ve been talking to one woman who has a long-standing fascination for spaceflight, and is hopefully, a serious candidate, in the non-actress category.

Svetlana is 29, and is married with a two year-old daughter. She has a law degree, has worked as a fashion model, and is an experienced and fearless sky-diver. She been interested in space exploration for many year, which has led her to visit Baikonur, to witness a Soyuz launch, and has met numerous cosmonauts during trips to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, or space related social events.






Svetlana takes up the story. “When I heard about this competition, I thought that this is a great chance that I can't miss for sure. I think this competition will resonate with a wide range of women who have dreamed about space flight, but were too far from the space sphere, or considered the usual requirements for cosmonauts too strict, because only one discrepancy is enough for the Commission to reject your candidacy.”


“I have been interested in space exploration for the long time, and so I already know quite a lot about how what would be involved, and how the flight goes. I know what to expect, and I am not going to romanticise this event too much. It will be very tough.”

Asked how she measures up to the requirements set out in the application process, Svetlana explains,

“I got a quite good education, in Law, at the best Russian University and have a good results in sports. In addition, I am an experienced skydiver. Skydiving teaches you to be stress-resistant and to make decisions very quickly.”





“Regarding the athletic requirements, I think I'll just need some swimming practice!”



“Perhaps I don't have enough public speaking experience. Basically, all my public performances are about walking on a runway as a model, and performing as an aerial gymnast.”

“I think that people in the cosmonaut selection team have a much longer list of requirements for candidates than we have been told so far. They know exactly what they need. First of all, they must be looking for a person capable of completing the space mission, and only secondly for an actress. I can only hope for good luck.”

When asked about the flight itself, and the prospect of launching on a rocket, Svetlana has already considered this.

“Soyuz has already proved its reliability, but nevertheless, space flight was always, and it is now, a complex technical process that thrills but also can be a little bit frightening, I think it's absolutely normal to feel like that."








"But I think the high-quality of training with the experienced instructors and psychologists of the Cosmonaut Training Centre will definitely help me not to be stressed before the launch. And, of course, the launch day will be an exciting moment that would divide my whole life into "before" and "after" my spaceflight!”

When asked about the fame and fortune that may await the star of this unique movie, Svetlana is unconcerned.

“I don't think about that. The obligations that are imposed on a person who has made a spaceflight are more important to think about. That person should be a good example for future generations, and share that experience.”

One aspect of this project which has not been explained, is who is paying? On one hand, the hardware is all manufactured, and the Soyuz seats for the actress and the other person, can be freed up, by adjusting cosmonaut assignments and flight duration. But, it is hard to believe that Roscosmos would not prefer to find a sponsor.

Some sources within Russia, and beyond, have suggested that the project hinges on this, but Roscosmos, or Channel One, have not commented on money. The next couple of months should tell us of this project will proceed, as announced.

Although it is clear that this project is a direct response to the Tom Cruise movie plans, sources in Russia and Japan have added a further dimension. One of the seats on the Soyuz MS-20 flight, mentioned earlier, has allegedly been sold to a Japanese corporation, who also plan to send an actress to the ISS, for an unknown purpose. The Japanese actress, has already been chosen, and has been cleared by the Russian flight planners! Rightly, or wrongly, it seems that late 2021 is going to see the ISS serving as a movie set, for several weeks!

Russia looks for actress to steal Tom Cruise space movie thunder

 

Russia looks for actress to steal Tom Cruise space movie thunder

By Tony Quine

Russia’s not-too-subtle effort to upstage Tom Cruise’s plans to film the first ever feature film in Earth Orbit have taken a major step forward, with more details announced jointly by the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos and Channel One TV, from Moscow.

Vague details released in September, have now been fleshed out, with the headline grabbing news being the decision to base the Russian movie plot around a woman, meaning that the film-makers will need to find an actress willing to fly on a Soyuz rocket in October next year.

The project which is tentatively called ‘The Challenge’ has the tag line ‘Become a star, by flying to the stars!’

Konstantin Ernst, Director General of Channel One commented, “One day Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Roscosmos called, and this interesting project was in the launch position. Roskosmos, in fulfilling its professional duties and implementing new space programs, believed it could train two actresses as cosmonauts-researchers, one of whom would then be sent into space to shoot a feature film. Initially, we will look for professional actresses, but also women whose acting skills can allow them to compete with professional actresses.”

Details about the plot are sketchy and it is unclear how much film content will be actually be filmed in Space. Russian cosmonauts will be trained to act as camera and sound recordists on board the ISS. Rogozin is himself designated Executive Producer, whilst the producer will be Klim Shipenko, whose previous work includes the 2017 blockbuster “Salyut 7”.

Although it has not been explicitly stated, the woman selected will need to fly on the Soyuz MS-19 mission, replacing one of the three professional cosmonauts currently pencilled in to fly that mission. This in turn, will mean that one of the crew on the preceding mission Soyuz MS-18 will need to remain on the ISS until Spring 2022. This is because Russia has only six seats to the ISS available in 2021 (Soyuz MS-18 and MS-19) and needs to find a way to accommodate this unplanned ‘project’ within those available resources.

The only other crewed Russian flight planned for 2021 is the first wholly commercial Soyuz mission, arranged in conjunction with experienced spaceflight provider, Space Adventures, which will be Soyuz MS-20 and will fly in December 2021. Space Adventures are not involved in the ‘movie’ project, and the actress will not occupy one of their seats. Whilst they have not made any official comment about their future clients, the latest unofficial information emanating from Roscosmos and Space Adventures officials indicates that Soyuz MS-20 will be flown by veteran cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, and two female Spaceflight Participants, an Austrian commercial pilot and a Japanese singer and actress. 

However, the Russian movie proposal has not met with universal approval, with some Russian spaceflight commentators taking to Social Media to suggest that utilising ISS resources for a purpose not obviously connected to scientific research, or Russian national interests, may actually be illegal, and have called for transparency with regard to the underlying financial arrangements.

Returning to the question of how Roscosmos and Channel One will find their actress, an open competition was launched on the Channel One website on 3^rd November, inviting both actresses, and other women, with a passion for space, to apply. Candidates are required to be aged 25 to 45, and must meet specific anthropological requirements, to ensure they can fit comfortably in a Soyuz, as well as the health, fitness and psychological requirements, typically required for any potential cosmonaut candidates. These characteristics will be tested during the selection process, which will unfold during early 2021. Finally, they have to record a screen test, reciting a specific monologue, written by Alexander Pushkin.

According to Channel One, thirty candidates will participate in a reality TV show, between January and March 2021, which will show them going through the cosmonaut selection tests at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, with the number of contenders being progressively reduced, in line with the usual reality TV model. It’s not clear if this will involve any audience voting. Logically, passing the required health, fitness and psychological tests, should trump broader popularity.

When the leading candidate, and an understudy (back-up) are chosen, by April 2021, they will undergo three months of general spaceflight training, before completing three months of flight specific training, presumably with cosmonauts Shkaplerov and Babkin, with launch currently planned for 5^th October 2021.

Speaking about the project and the selection process, Rogozin said, “In this project, it is important for us not only to demonstrate the heroism and high professionalism of cosmonauts and industry specialists. who ensure the safety of manned flights, but also to develop the methodology of accelerated preparation for spaceflight and to perform a mission on the ISS. So, this is a kind of space experiment. The actress we select will perform the functions of a cosmonaut-researcher and become a full-fledged member of the Soyuz crew.”

Although official news of Tom Cruise’s flight to the ISS, arranged through Axiom Space, and SpaceX is still awaited, the currently projected timeline would put Cruise, producer Doug Liman and an unnamed actress on ISS, a few weeks after the Russian actress has departed.

 

©  Tony Quine – November 2020