Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
The Yuri A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC; Russian: Центр подготовки космонавтов имени Ю. А. Гагарина) is a Russian training facility responsible for training cosmonauts for their space missions. It is in Star City of Moscow Oblast, a name which may refer to the facility itself or to its grounds. Formation. The facility was originally known only as Military Unit 26266 or в/ч 26266, and was a secret training base for Soviet Cosmonaut candidates. The site was chosen for its proximity to Moscow and other infrastructure that would be  essential for its function: Chkalovsky Airport, and the Yaroslavl railroad. The densely forested area was originally a radar range with some existing infrastructure. Military doctor Colonel Yevgeny Karpov was appointed as the first chief of the cosmonaut training centre or "Tsentr Podgotovki Kosmonavtov" (TsPK) on 24 February 1960. The centre was home to approximately 250 personnel divided into various departments who were responsible for the development of all aspects of the space program ranging from equipment to the well-being of the cosmonauts. These included specialists in heat exchange and hygiene, survival clothing, surgery, and training staff. Initially cosmonaut candidates  were housed at the nearby Frunze Central Airfield (Moscow), followed by an apartment block in Chkalovsky before eventually moving to the newly built apartments on site where they would remain with their families throughout training. Civilian administration. Until April 2009 the center was owned and operated by the Ministry of Defence (Russia) in cooperation with Russian Federal Space Agency. In April 2009, Russia President Dmitry Medvedev signed a presidential decree transferring the center from the Defence Ministry to the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos). Key infrastructure. The facility contains infrastructure essential for the training of cosmonauts across a wide range  of experiences, including simulating g-loads, mission specific/suit training, medical observation/testing and astronavigation. Key GCTC facilities include: