Yelena Serova

Yelena Serova
Name	Yelena Serova
Birth date	1966-04-22
Birth place	Chelyabinsk
Nationality	Russian
Occupation	Cosmonaut, Engineer, Politician
Alma mater	Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas
Known for	Flight engineer on Soyuz TMA-14M / Expedition 41 / Expedition 42

Yelena Serova

Yelena Serova is a Russian engineer, cosmonaut and politician noted for serving as a flight engineer on Expedition 41 and Expedition 42 to the International Space Station. She trained with Roscosmos and flew aboard Soyuz TMA-14M after a career in aerospace and petroleum engineering at organizations including Roskosmos's Energia partners and research institutes. Following her spaceflight, she transitioned to a role in the State Duma representing United Russia.

Early life and education

Born in Chelyabinsk in 1966, Serova studied at the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering where she earned credentials that led to a career in engineering and project management at firms associated with Soviet Union successor enterprises. She completed postgraduate work at the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, aligning with employers in the oil industry and working on projects involving infrastructure tied to organizations such as Gazprom and Rosneft. Early professional affiliations included positions at design bureaus connected to Energia and scientific collaborations with institutes that supported Soyuz program logistics and Mir-era research.

Cosmonaut selection and training

Selected in 2006 by Roscosmos as part of a group of flight engineers, she underwent basic and advanced cosmonaut training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center where curricula were coordinated with specialists from RKK Energia, TsPK, and scientific advisors from Russian Academy of Sciences. Her training included simulations in the Vykhod neutral buoyancy pool, centrifuge sessions with instructors from TsNIIMash, and joint exercises tied to procedures developed during Shenzhou and Space Shuttle cooperative programs. She participated in mission-specific preparations with flight planners from Mission Control Moscow and international training coordinators from NASA and the European Space Agency.

Spaceflight missions

Serova launched on Soyuz TMA-14M to join Expedition 41 aboard the International Space Station, docking at the Zvezda service module and integrating with crew members from Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, and JAXA. During Expedition 42 operations she conducted experiments in modules including Zarya and Poisk, and supported extra-vehicular activity preparations coordinated with Roscosmos flight controllers and NASA Johnson Space Center engineers. Her mission involved international collaboration with personnel affiliated with SpaceX cargo operations, JAXA biological payload teams, and experiment teams from CNES and DLR. The mission timeline overlapped with high-profile ISS events connected to prior programs like STS-135 and later commercial crew developments involving Boeing.

Scientific and technical contributions

On station, Serova worked on experiments spanning materials science, Earth observation, and life sciences coordinated with laboratories at Russian Academy of Sciences, NASA Ames Research Center, and European Space Research and Technology Centre. She contributed to payload operations for instruments developed by teams at Skolkovo Innovation Center, Moscow Aviation Institute researchers, and collaborators from Institute of Biomedical Problems (IMBP). Her technical work included testing hardware interfaces derived from designs by RKK Energia and integration of telemetry streams processed through Mission Control Moscow systems and ground segments used by Roscosmos and international partners.

Political career and public service

After returning, she entered politics with United Russia and was elected to the State Duma, where she served on committees interacting with agencies such as Ministry of Education and Science (Russia), Rosatom, and regional administrations in Yaroslavl Oblast; her legislative focus touched on space policy, technology development, and vocational training initiatives connected to Russian Academy of Sciences research centers. She engaged in international delegations with counterparts from United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, representatives from European Parliament delegations, and bilateral visits involving officials from China National Space Administration and Indian Space Research Organisation.

Awards and honors

Serova received decorations including the Hero of the Russian Federation (state awards often conferred on cosmonauts), honors from Roscosmos, and medals issued by the Ministry of Defence (Russia) and academic recognitions from Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas and the Russian Academy of Sciences. She was acknowledged by regional authorities in Chelyabinsk Oblast and by institutions such as RKK Energia for contributions to International Space Station operations and international cooperation.

Category:Russian cosmonauts Category:Members of the State Duma