Andrey Borisenko

Andrey Borisenko launched into orbit on 4 April 2011 aboard Soyuz TMA-21, marking the start of his first long-duration mission to the International Space Station. Born in 1964 in Saint Petersburg, he transitioned from a technical background in aerospace systems engineering to serving as a flight commander, accumulating 337 days of total spaceflight time over his career.

Technical Foundation

Borisenko attended Saint Petersburg Lyceum 30 before enrolling at the Baltic State Technical University. He graduated in 1987 with a specialization in flight and control dynamics. Following two years in a military unit, he joined RSC Energia in 1989. His early career focused on motion control systems for the Mir space station and analysis of onboard systems at the Mission Control Center in Moscow. By 1999, he held the position of shift flight director, managing operations for both Mir and the International Space Station.

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Cosmonaut Selection and Training

The Interdepartmental Qualification Commission selected Borisenko as a cosmonaut candidate in May 2003. He completed two years of basic spaceflight training, passing state examinations in June 2005. He earned his test-cosmonaut qualification on 5 July 2005. Between 2005 and 2008, he undertook advanced training, eventually serving as a backup flight engineer for multiple expedition crews before receiving a prime assignment.

Expeditions 27 and 28

In 2011, Borisenko served as flight engineer for Expedition 27 and subsequently commanded Expedition 28. His crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first crewed space flight. Upon docking with the station, he worked alongside international crewmates, including NASA astronaut Ronald Garan. After concluding his duties in September 2011, the Soyuz TMA-21 capsule landed in the Kazakh Steppe, where he successfully completed his first mission.

Orbital Missions and Film

Borisenko launched for a second time in October 2016 aboard Soyuz MS-02. As a flight engineer, he participated in Expedition 49 and Expedition 50. During this tenure, the crew managed logistics for resupply missions, including the Progress MS-05 launch in February 2017. He returned to Earth in April 2017 after a 173-day flight. Outside of his technical duties, Borisenko appeared as himself in the 2016 comedy film Yolki 5.