SpaceX Crew-10 transported Kirill Alexandrovich Peskov to the International Space Station in March 2025 for a mission spanning Expedition 72 and 73. A Russian cosmonaut and former commercial pilot, his professional trajectory involved transitioning from flying Boeing passenger aircraft to intensive survival training and orbital flight operations under the Roscosmos agency.
Early Aviation Background
Born in 1990 in Kyzyl, located in the Tuva Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Kirill Peskov completed his secondary education at School No. 14 in Nazarovo in 2007. He pursued professional aviation at the Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation, where he specialized in the flight operation of aircraft. Upon graduating in 2012 with an engineering degree, he received the military rank of Lieutenant within the Russian Air Force reserve forces. His early commercial career began in 2012 as a first officer for Nordwind Airlines at Sheremetyevo Airport, followed by a transition to Ikar Airlines to pilot Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft out of Krasnoyarsk International Airport.
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Peskov entered the selection process for the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in March 2017. Following medical clearance in April 2018, he secured his official selection as a candidate that August. His training program included survival simulations across diverse terrains. In 2019, he completed diver training at the Noginsk rescue center and participated in water survival exercises in the Black Sea. He further prepared for potential emergency landings in arid environments during a desert survival drill in July 2021. In November 2020, he passed his state examination, receiving certification as a test cosmonaut in December 2020.
International Space Station Missions
In May 2023, the space agency assigned Peskov as the backup for Aleksandr Gorbunov for the SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Concurrently, he received training as a flight engineer for the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. His primary assignment occurred in August 2024, leading to his role as a crew member for SpaceX Crew-10. This mission served as the platform for his service on the International Space Station during the Expedition 72 and 73 increments beginning in March 2025.
Fast facts
- Born: 1 May 1990
- Birthplace: Kyzyl
- Citizenship: Russia
- Professional debut: 2012
- Cosmonaut selection year: 2018
- Education: Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation
- Military rank: Lieutenant in the reserve forces
- Spaceflight mission: SpaceX Crew-10
Questions readers ask
What aircraft did Kirill Peskov pilot before becoming an astronaut?
He served as a first officer flying Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft for Nordwind Airlines and Ikar Airlines.
Which space missions has he participated in?
He was a crew member for SpaceX Crew-10, serving as a flight engineer for Expedition 72 and 73 on the International Space Station.
Achievements
- Worked as aircraft pilot and astronaut
