Date and place of birth: July 27, 1958, Krasnodar.
Parents: father: Padalka Ivan Vasilyevich, born in 1931.
mother: Padalka Valentina Mefodiyevna, born in 1931.
Live in Krasnodar.
Education: Yeisk, Military pilot's school - 1979,
pilot - engineer.
UNESCO International Teaching System Center - 1994,
engineer - ecologist.
Family: Married.
Wife: Padalka (Ponomaryeva) Irina Anatolyevna, born in 1959,
daughter: Juliya, born in 1979,
daughter: Yekaterina, born in 1985.
Awards/Honors: Four Russian Army medals.
Interests: Parachute sport, theatre.
Work experience: Since 1979 - military service in Russian Air Forces, pilot.
1989 - enlisted in cosmonaut team, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. June 1989-January 1991 - general cosmonaut training. 1991 - qualified as "researcher-cosmonaut". Since February 1991 - continued training in the test cosmonaut team.
First-class flyer. Tested 6 types of aircraft. Logged 1300 hrs. Paratroops instructor. Over 300 parachute jumps.
August 28, 1996-July 30, 1997 - training to fly transportation spacecraft "Soyuz TM" and OS "MIR". As a commander of a back-up crew for the 24th primary expedition, Russian - American program "MIR24/NASA-5,6", Russian - French program "Pegas" and program "EuroMir - Extension".
Since October 1997 - training to fly "Soyuz TM" and "MIR" as a commander of a primary crew for 26th primary expedition.
