Aleksei Yeliseyev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aleksei Stanislavovich Yeliseyev
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Yeliseyev (right) on a 1969 Soviet postage stamp
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| Born | 13 July 1934 Zhizdra, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
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| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | Soviet |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Space career | |
| Cosmonaut | |
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Time in space
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8d 22h 20m |
| Selection | Civilian Specialist Group 2 |
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Total EVAs
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1 |
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Total EVA time
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37 minutes |
| Missions | Soyuz 5/4, Soyuz 8, Soyuz 10 |
Aleksei Stanislavovich Yeliseyev (born 13 July 1934) is a retired Soviet cosmonaut. He was a flight engineer on three important space missions. These missions were part of the Soyuz programme. He flew on Soyuz 5, Soyuz 8, and Soyuz 10. In 1969, during his Soyuz 5 mission, he performed the world's eighth spacewalk.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Aleksei Yeliseyev was born on 13 July 1934. His father's last name was Kuraitis. Aleksei uses his mother's last name, Yeliseyev.
He studied at the Bauman Higher Technical School. He graduated from there in 1957. Later, he continued his studies at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. He finished his postgraduate studies in 1962.
Before becoming a cosmonaut, Yeliseyev worked as an engineer. He worked at a design bureau led by the famous space engineer Sergey Korolev. This experience was very helpful for his future in space.
Space Missions
Aleksei Yeliseyev was chosen to become a cosmonaut. He flew on three missions as a flight engineer.
Soyuz 5 Mission
His first mission was Soyuz 5. This flight took place in January 1969. During this mission, he performed a spacewalk. This was a big achievement. He spent 37 minutes outside the spacecraft. This spacewalk was part of a historic docking. Soyuz 5 connected with Soyuz 4 in space. Two cosmonauts, including Yeliseyev, transferred from Soyuz 5 to Soyuz 4. They then returned to Earth in Soyuz 4. This was the first time astronauts transferred between spacecraft in orbit.
Soyuz 8 Mission
Yeliseyev's second mission was Soyuz 8. This mission happened in October 1969. He flew with Vladimir Shatalov again. The goal of Soyuz 8 was to dock with Soyuz 7. However, they could not complete the docking. Despite this, the mission provided valuable experience.
Soyuz 10 Mission
His third and final space mission was Soyuz 10. This flight took place in April 1971. The mission aimed to dock with the first Salyut space station. They successfully docked with Salyut 1. But a problem with the docking mechanism prevented them from entering the station. They had to return to Earth without going inside.
Life After Space
Aleksei Yeliseyev retired from the space program in 1985. After his time as a cosmonaut, he took on an administrative role. He worked at the Bauman school, where he had studied. He stayed there for several years before fully retiring.
Awards and Honors
Aleksei Yeliseyev received many awards for his contributions to space exploration.
Awards from the Soviet Union
- He was honored twice as a Hero of the Soviet Union. This is a very high award.
- He received the title of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR.
- He was awarded the Order of Lenin four times. This is another very important Soviet award.
- He received the Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" in 2011. This was for his great work in space research.
- He also received the Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin".
- He was given the USSR State Prize in 1980.
Awards from Other Countries
- He was named a Hero of the People's Republic of Bulgaria.
- He received the Order of Georgi Dimitrov from Bulgaria.
