Alexander Misurkin

Alexander Alexanderovich Misurkin (Russian: Aлександр Aлександрович Мисуркин) born on September 23, 1977, major of Russian Air Force, is a Russian cosmonaut, selected in 2006. He flew aboard Soyuz TMA-08M on 28 March 2013 as his first space mission.

Misurkin is married to Olga Anatolievna Misurkina. The couple have two children. His parents, Lyudmila Georgievna and Alexander Mikhailovich Misurkin, reside in Oryol, Russia.

In 1994, Misurkin graduated from vocational school #1 in Oryol. He then entered the Kacha High Air Force Pilot School, where he studied to September 1998. He continued pilot training at the Armavir Military Aviation Institute, and graduated in October 1999 with a gold medal as a pilot-engineer.

In October 2006 Misurkin was approved as a cosmonaut candidate and enlisted to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut (GCTC) Corps. He took the basic training at GCTC from February 2007 to June 2009, which he completed on 2 June 2009. Misurkin was qualified as a test-cosmonaut 9 June 2009.

From August 2009 to February 2011 he took the advanced training specializing in the International Space Station (ISS) program. From January 2011 he trained as the Expedition 33/34 and Soyuz TMA-M backup crew flight engineer.

Soyuz TMA 08M / Expedition 35/36

Misurkin flew on Soyuz TMA-08M which launched at 20:43:20 on 28 March 2013. This was the first manned flight to use the fast rendezvous approach to the International Space Station, reaching the space station in less than 6 hours. Previous flights had required two days to dock with the station. Misurkin joined the crew of ISS Expedition 35.