Igor Volk

Igor Petrovich Volk (Игорь Петрович Волк; born April 12, 1937 in Zmiiv, Kharkiv Oblast, USSR) is a retired cosmonaut and test pilot in the Soviet Union. He is married and has two children.

Igor Volk was selected as a cosmonaut on July 30, 1980, flew as Research Cosmonaut on Soyuz T-12, the 7th expedition to Salyut 7. One goal of the mission was to test the effects of long-duration spaceflight on Volk's return flight piloting as a precursor to piloting the Space Shuttle Buran. He served as the head of the cosmonauts training for the Buran program and since the project's cancellation, as a Flight Tests Deputy at the Gromov Flight Research Institute in 1995 before retiring in 1996. He has previously served as President of the National Aero Club of Russia and Vice President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. As recognition for his contributions as a test pilot and cosmonaut he was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union on July 29, 1984.

He is also an inventor and is planning a new four-person concept flying car called the Lark-4 which takes off and lands at 45 km/h (28 mph) using a 27-meter (89 feet) runway. It consumes 11 litres (3 gallons) of fuel for every 100 km traveled and cruises at around 637 km/h (396 mph).

Honours and awards

 * Title of Hero of the Soviet Union
 * Title of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR
 * Title of Honoured Test Pilot of the USSR
 * Order For Merit to the Fatherland 4th class
 * Order of Lenin (USSR)
 * Order of the Red Banner of Labour (USSR)
 * Order of Friendship of Peoples (USSR)
 * Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"

External links and references

 * Detailed biography of Igor Volk
 * Bio at Astronautix
 * Lark-4 Information
 * Goodwill Flight Russia-Australia-Russia