ARLA/CLUSTER: RA3DT deixar de ser cosmonauta para trabalhar numa companhia de gàs

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

Russian cosmonaut quits..to become a gasman

Space travel seems to have lost its magic after a Russian cosmonaut
dramatically quit as a commander on a future mission - to become a
gasman.

Colonel Yury Lonchakov, RA3DT, was today accused of 'betrayal' by
opting for a 'more interesting job' and forgoing his chance to lead a
flight to the International Space Station, the MailOnline reports.

He came under pressure from his wife, ex-airline stewardess Tatiana,
40, to get find a better paid job, say sources at Star City, home of
cosmonauts' training, near Moscow.

It is understood he will earn more than double his £18,396 a year
salary as commander of a flight to the ISS scheduled for May 2015.

He has secured an unspecified job with Russian gas giant Gazprom, said
a friend. 'Yury does not want any publicity. He told me he has already
got a permanent job at Gazprom.

Read the full MailOnline article at
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2413998/Cosmonaut-Yury-Lonchakov-quits-work-gas-company-money.html

Our thanks to Paul G4DCV for spotting this item