Cosmonaut Resigns

[Deepwater6]

http://www.space.com/22674-cosmonaut-resigns-space-station-command.html

 

It would seem from the story that this has happened before. I would think space agencies would have these people under contract. The money spent on training alone would deem this necessary would it not?

 

Surely there are plenty of replacements to assume the position. These back-ups should do the job without an issue, but to spend all that time and money on someone only to have them quit is not a feasible way operate. :angry:

 

We will always need replacements in case of injury or sickness to the primary person, but to lose someone for this reason only sets the missions back and the agencies need to find a way to avoid it in the future.

[CraigD]

I’ve a strong hunch this DailyMailOnline article summarizes Yury Lonchakov’s motives accurately:

It is understood he will earn more than double his £18,396 [(anout US$28,698)] a year salary as commander of a flight to the ISS scheduled for May 2015.

...

He has a bank loan, and his wife was not happy with his income.

'Quitting the space industry was his personal decision. He thought he did enough in space. And he got an offer he could not turn down.'

And a good observation about the decline of the prestige of the astro/cosmonauts:

The move by one of Russia's most senior cosmonauts, a veteran of three earlier flights, though never as commander, has shocked and saddened his colleagues who remember the allure of the role in Soviet times when it was the ultimate job - and honour.

It seems understandable that someone as highly skilled, physically, technically, and socially, as Lonchakov, would feel underpaid at $28,698/year. If the Russian space program wanted to keep him, I think they should have paid him a salary comparable to those of astronauts in other countries. For example, from this NASA FAQ page:

Salaries for civilian Astronaut Candidates are based upon the Federal Government's General Schedule pay scale for grades GS-11 through GS-14. The grade is determined in accordance with each individual's academic achievements and experience. Currently a GS-11 starts at $64,724 per year and a GS-14 can earn up to $141,715 per year.