Flight Engineer of the Soyuz TM-34 Spacecraft
Test Cosmonaut of S.P. Korolev Rocket & Space
Corporation Energia, Russia

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: June 21, 1964, Charjew, Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, (Turkmenistan).
Father: Dmitri Ivanovich Kononenko, 1927-1993.
Mother: Taisia Stepanovna Kononenko (Churakova), born in 1927.

EDUCATION: In 1988 he graduated from Kharkov Order of Lenin Aviation Institute after N.E. Zhukovsky (KhAI); he was trained for flight vehicle engines. In 1986 he finished Higher State Extention Patent and Invention Courses for managers, engineering and technical personnel, scientists.

FAMILY STATUS: Married.
Wife: Tatiana Mikhailovna Kononenko (Yurieva), born in 1963.

AWARDS OF SCIENTIFIC AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS:
Yu. A. Gagarin Medal of the Cosmonautics Federation, Russia.

HOBBY: cosmonautics (when he studied at KhAI he was the director of the faculty cosmonautics museum), book-reading, sports games. He enjoys staying en famille.

WORK EXPERIENCE: 
From September 1981 to August 1982 he was the air-technological base packer of the Charjew consolidated air detachment.
From April 1988 to September 1994 he worked as an engineer, design engineer, leading design engineer at the Central Specialized Design Bureau (TsSKB), Kuibyshev (now Samara).
He was engaged in general system design work and development of working documentation for spacecraft power supply system. In 1991 the title of the best young specialist of the enterprise was conferred on him.
On February 9, 1996 by decision of the State Interdepartmental Committee he was selected as a candidate for cosmonauts from TsSKB.
Since June 1996 he has been a test cosmonaut of 501 department of TsSKB.
From June 1996 to March 1998 he passed a course of general space training at CTC.
On March 20, 1998 by decision of the Interdepartmental Qualification Committee he got a qualification of a test cosmonaut.
Since October 1998 he has passed training as a member of the group under the ISS program.
Since January 1999 he has been a test cosmonaut of RSC Energia cosmonaut detachment.
Since December 17, 2001 he has passed training for space flight as a flight engineer of the Soyuz-TM transport vehicle backup crew (the ISS third visiting crew).

April 2002.
Based on materials from Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

ISS Flight Engineer,
Soyuz TMA Flight Engineer
Test Cosmonaut of S.P.Korolev Rocket and
Space Corporation Energia, Russia

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: June 21, 1964, town of Chardzhou, Turkmenskaya SSR (Turkmenia).
Farther: Dmitriy Ivanovich Kononenko (1927-1993).
Mother: Taisia Stepanovna Kononenko (Churakova), born in 1927.

EDUCATION: In 1988 he graduated from the Order of Lenin Kharkov Aviation Institute after N.Y. Zhukovskiy (KhAI) specializing in Flight Vehicle Engines. In 1986 he finished Higher State Extension Courses for managerial, engineering and technical and research workers in patenting science and invention.

FAMILY STATUS: married.
Wife: Tatiyana Mikhailovna Kononenko (Yuryeva), born in 1963. In 2004 twins Andrey and Alisa had been born to them.

AWARDS OF SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL ORGANIATIONS: Medal after Yu.A. Gagarin issued by Russian Federation of Cosmonautics.

HOBBY: cosmonautics (during his study at KhAI, he had been 3 years the Director of the faculty’s Museum of Cosmonautics), reading books, sporting games. He enjoys spending free time within the family circle.

WORK EXPERIENCE:
From September 1981 to August 1982 he served as a freight consolidator at air – technical base of Chardzhou’s integrated air detachment.
From April 1988 to September 1994 he worked as engineer, design engineer at Central Specialized Design Bureau (TsSKB), the city of Kuibyshev (today - Samara). He engaged in overall system design-analytical work and elaborating working documentation on spacecraft power supply system. In 1991 he had been awarded the title of the best young specialist within the enterprise.
On February 9th, 1996 by the decision of the State Interdepartmental Commission he was selected as a cosmonaut candidate from TsSKB.
Form June 1996 he has been test cosmonaut of Department 501, TsSKB.
From June 1996 to March 1998 he had taken a course of general space training at RGNII CTC.
On March 20, 1998 by the decision of the Interdepartmental Qualification Commission he had been qualified as a test cosmonaut.
Since October 1998 he has been training within the ISS Program team.
Since January 1999 he has been test cosmonaut at RSC Energia Cosmonauts Corps.
On December 5, 2001 by the decision of the Interdepartmental Commission for Cosmonauts Selection he was assigned Flight Engineer to the second (backup) crew of the third Russian ISS Visiting Crew (VC-3).
From December 17, 2001 to April 2002 he got training as a crewmember together with G. Padolka (call sign – "Altairy").
On April 25, 2002 during the launch of Soyuz TM-34 transport space vehicle he was backup Flight Engineer of the space vehicle.
In March 2002 he was assigned Flight Engineer to the ISS-9 first crew along with G. Padalka and E. Fincke. He started training for the mission slated for autumn 2003. Following the Columbia Shuttle catastrophe, the Mission Program was revised and his crew had been transferred to training under the ISS Assembly Program with the supposed launch of Shuttle (ISS-ULF1) carrying them as the second (backup) crew. However, due to continuous slips of restarting Shuttle flights, the Missions Program was revised and the crew was reduced to two persons. In so doing, Kononenko was taken out of the crew.
In late June 2005 he was enlisted in the combined team of cosmonauts designated as ISS-15/16/17, upon which crew of ISS - 15, 16 and 17 - Expeditions had been formed. On August 15, 2005 he got down to training within this team at RGNII CTC.
From June 2 through June 10, 2006 he took port in training in Sevastopol (Ukraine) focused on cases of failed water landing of descent vehicle with conventional crew consisting of him, Sergei Volkov and Daniel Tani.
From January 16 through January 27, 2007 he took part in survival trainings within conventional crew together with Andre Kuipers (ESA, Netherlands) and Robert Thirsk (Canada) in the woodlands, within 30 km of Moscow. On February 13, 2007 NASA confirmed his appointment as ISS-17 Flight Engineer, as well as Flight Engineer of Soyuz-ÒÌÀ-12.
On November 2007, at the meeting of Roscosmos Interdepartmental Commission for Cosmonauts Selection and Enlistment in Crews of Manned Space Vehicles and stations he was approved as ISS-17 Flight Engineer and Soyuz-ÒÌÀ-12 Flight Engineer.

March 2008
By the data presented by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
and reference book The Soviet and Russian Cosmonauts, 1960-2000.