Georgy Grechko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Georgy Mikhaylovich Grechko
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Grechko in 2011
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| Born | May 25, 1931 |
| Died | April 8, 2017 (aged 85) |
| Nationality | Soviet/Russian |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union (2) |
| Space career | |
| Cosmonaut | |
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Time in space
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134d 20h 32m |
| Selection | Civilian Specialist Group 3 |
| Missions | Soyuz 17, Soyuz 26, Soyuz T-14 |
Georgy Mikhaylovich Grechko (Russian: Георгий Михайлович Гречко; May 25, 1931 – April 8, 2017) was a famous Soviet cosmonaut. He traveled to space on three different missions. Each trip was to a unique Salyut space station. His first mission, Soyuz 17, visited Salyut 4. Then, Soyuz 26 went to Salyut 6. Finally, Soyuz T-14 flew to Salyut 7. During his last mission, Grechko helped another crew. They had fixed damage to the space station.
Contents
Early Life and Space Career
Georgy Grechko was born in Leningrad, which is now Saint Petersburg, Russia. He studied hard and earned a special degree in mathematics. After his studies, he started working at a famous design office. This office was led by Sergei Korolev, a key person in the Soviet space program.
Grechko was chosen to train as a cosmonaut. He first trained for a Soviet mission to the Moon. When that Moon program ended, he began working on Salyut space stations. These stations were like orbiting homes for astronauts.
First Spacewalk in a Special Suit
On December 20, 1977, Grechko made history. He performed the very first spacewalk while wearing an Orlan space suit. This happened during the Salyut 6 EO-1 mission. A spacewalk is when an astronaut goes outside their spacecraft.
Grechko was honored twice with the medal of Hero of the Soviet Union. This is a very high award.
Life After Space
In 1992, Grechko left the space program. He became a teacher at the Russian Academy of Sciences. There, he taught about how Earth's atmosphere works. He also wrote a book about his life as a cosmonaut.
A small planet in space is named after him. It is called 3148 Grechko. A Soviet astronomer found it in 1979.
Grechko also appeared in a few movies. He was in Per Aspera Ad Astra (1981) and Under the Constellation Gemini (1979).
In 1984, Grechko helped start the Association of Space Explorers. This group is for anyone who has flown in outer space.
Georgy Grechko passed away at age 85. He had several long-term health issues.
Missions to Salyut Space Stations
Georgy Grechko flew on three important missions. Each one helped us learn more about living in space.
Soyuz 17 and Salyut 4
Grechko's first space trip started in December 1974. He and Aleksei Gubarev flew on the Soyuz 17 mission. Their rocket launched on December 26, 1974. It successfully connected with the Salyut 4 Space Station. This was a big success for the Soviet space program.
The cosmonauts lived on the Salyut 4 station for a month. It was a large station with three rooms. They did many science projects there. They scanned Earth's atmosphere using infrared light. They also studied stars and X-rays from the sun.
To stay healthy in space, Grechko exercised daily. He used a special bicycle and treadmill. He also tried wearing suits that created negative pressure. Grechko and Gubarev spent 30 days in orbit. This set a new Soviet record at the time. They returned safely to Earth on February 9, 1975.
Soyuz 26 and Salyut 6
In December 1977, Grechko went back to space. He flew with Yuri Romanenko on the Soyuz 26 mission. They docked with the Salyut 6 Space Station. They stayed there for a very long time. They broke the old record of 84 days. That record was set by US Skylab astronauts.
In January 1978, more cosmonauts arrived. Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Oleg Makarov joined them. They connected their Soyuz 27 craft to Salyut 6. This was the first time two spacecraft docked at once. It was also the first time two crews were on a space station together. After five days, Dzhanibekov and Makarov returned to Earth. They used the Soyuz 26 craft.
Later, on March 4, another crew joined Grechko and Romanenko. This crew included Aleksei Gubarev, Grechko's partner from his first mission. It also had Vladimir Raemk from Czechoslovakia. He was the first non-Russian cosmonaut to visit the station.
Observing Earth from Space
The Salyut 6 crew became the first to study Earth carefully from orbit. Their long stay helped them do this. It takes a few weeks for human eyes to get used to space. After that, they could see amazing details. They saw traces of typhoons on the water. They also saw huge waves, over 100 kilometers long. They even saw features of the ocean floor.
On March 15, Grechko and Romanenko left Salyut 6. They had spent 96 days in orbit. This was a new record! They returned to Earth in the Soyuz 27 spacecraft.
Before returning, they exercised a lot. This helped their bodies get ready for normal gravity. Even with training, they found simple tasks hard at first. Things like turning a radio dial or lifting a cup of tea were tough. But luckily, they did not have any serious problems.
Honours and Awards
- Twice Hero of the Soviet Union
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR
- Three Orders of Lenin
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"
- Medal "For Distinguished Labour"
- Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin"
- Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands"
- Honorary membership in the Danish Astronautical Society
- Distinguished Member, Association of Space Explorers
See also
In Spanish: Gueorgui Grechko para niños
