▁had ▁been ▁selected . ▁Kor ole v ▁ins isted ▁on ▁having ▁a ▁larger ▁group ▁than ▁NASA ' s ▁astr onaut ▁team ▁of ▁seven . ▁Of ▁these ▁ 2 0 , ▁five ▁were ▁outside ▁the ▁desired ▁age ▁range ; ▁hence , ▁the ▁age ▁requirement ▁was ▁relax ed . ▁Un like ▁NASA ' s ▁astr onaut ▁group , ▁this ▁group ▁did ▁not ▁particularly ▁consist ▁of ▁experienced ▁pil ots ; ▁B ely ay ev ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁experienced ▁with ▁ 9 0 0 ▁flying ▁hours . ▁The ▁Soviet ▁space craft ▁were ▁more ▁autom ated ▁than ▁the ▁American ▁counter parts , ▁so ▁significant ▁pil oting ▁experience ▁was ▁not ▁necessary . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Soviet ▁Chief ▁Marsh al ▁of ▁A viation ▁Konst antin ▁Vers hin in ▁approved ▁plans ▁to ▁establish ▁the ▁Cos mon aut ▁Training ▁Center , ▁whose ▁exclusive ▁purpose ▁would ▁be ▁to ▁prepare ▁the ▁cos mon aut s ▁for ▁their ▁up coming ▁fl ights ; ▁initially ▁the ▁facility ▁would ▁have ▁about ▁ 2 5 0 ▁staff . ▁Vers hin in ▁assigned ▁the ▁already ▁famous ▁av i ator ▁Nikol ai ▁Kam an in ▁to ▁super v ise ▁operations ▁at ▁the ▁facility . ▁By ▁March , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁cos mon aut s ▁had ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁training ▁facility ; ▁Vers hin in ▁gave ▁a ▁welcome ▁speech ▁on ▁March ▁ 7 , ▁and ▁those ▁who ▁were ▁present ▁were ▁formally ▁induct ed ▁into ▁the ▁cos mon aut ▁group . ▁By ▁mid - J une ▁all ▁twenty ▁were ▁perman ently ▁station