Leonid Kadeniuk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leonid Kadenyuk
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| Born | 28 January 1951 Klishkivtsi, Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
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| Died | 31 January 2018 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | Ukrainian |
| Occupation | Test pilot |
| Awards | Hero of Ukraine |
| Space career | |
| Soviet / Ukrainian astronaut | |
| Rank | Major general, UAF |
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Time in space
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15d 16h 34 m |
| Selection | 1976 Air Force Group 6 |
| Missions | STS-87 |
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Mission insignia
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Leonid Kostyantynovych Kadenyuk (Ukrainian: Леонід Костянтинович Каденюк, born January 28, 1951 – died January 31, 2018) was a famous Ukrainian astronaut. He was the very first person from independent Ukraine to fly into space! He made his historic flight in 1997 aboard NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia. This was part of an international mission called STS-87. Leonid Kadenyuk was also a high-ranking officer in the Ukrainian Air Force, holding the rank of major general. He received many honors, including being named a Hero of Ukraine.
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Life and Early Career
Leonid Kadenyuk was born on January 28, 1951. His hometown was Klishkivtsi, a small village in the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine. His parents were both teachers.
Education and Pilot Training
After finishing high school with honors in 1967, Leonid went to the Chernihiv Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots. He graduated in 1971 as a pilot-engineer. After that, he worked as a pilot-instructor, teaching others how to fly.
Leonid Kadenyuk was a skilled military pilot. In 1976, he was chosen to join the Soviet Cosmonaut Corps. This was a special group of people training to go to space. In 1977, he became a "test pilot". This means he flew new or modified aircraft to see how they performed. From 1977 to 1979, he completed his general space training. He officially became a test astronaut.
Becoming a Test Astronaut
Between 1984 and 1988, Kadenyuk worked as a test pilot for the Soviet Air Force. In 1989, he also graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute. From 1988 to 1990, he trained for the Buran program. This program was about building a Soviet reusable spacecraft, similar to the US Space Shuttle. He even helped test how the Buran spacecraft would glide down to land. He used special planes like the MiG-31 and MiG-25 for this.
Later, from 1990 to 1992, he trained to be the commander of the Soyuz-TM transport ship.
Joining the Ukrainian Space Program
When the Soviet Union broke apart, Leonid Kadenyuk decided to become a Ukrainian citizen. He stayed with the Russian Space Forces for a while. But in 1995, he volunteered to join the first Ukrainian space mission. He returned to his home country to help.
In 1995, he was officially selected for the group of astronauts of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. He also worked as a researcher at the Kholodny Institute of Botany. This was from April to October 1996.
Space Flight on Columbia
Leonid Kadenyuk trained with NASA for a space flight. He flew on the US reusable spacecraft Columbia as a payload specialist. This means he was in charge of specific scientific experiments during the mission. There were two main candidates for this mission. Kadenyuk was chosen because he had more experience.
The Mission: STS-87
From November 19 to December 5, 1997, Leonid Kadenyuk made his space flight. He was part of the American Space Shuttle Columbia mission, called STS-87.
The space shuttle launched on November 19, 1997. It took off from the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On board, in a special laboratory module, astronauts did many scientific experiments. These experiments were in areas like astrobiology and physics.
During his flight, Leonid Kadenyuk performed important biological experiments. These were part of a joint Ukrainian-American scientific study. They used three types of plants: turnip, soybean, and moss. The main goal was to see how being in weightlessness affected plants. They studied how plants grow, how they make food using sunlight, and how their genes work in space.
Life in Space
Leonid Kadenyuk shared some interesting memories from his time in space. He said that astronauts had to go into quarantine seven days before launch. This was to prevent them from getting sick. They were isolated from their families and the public.
He also remembered how much he and his fellow astronauts enjoyed looking at and photographing Earth and space. He called it "another impressive and extremely interesting experiment."
A special moment happened on November 27, the ninth day of the flight. This was the first time a Ukrainian citizen spoke directly with his country from space.
Every morning, the crew woke up to music. Each astronaut chose a melody they liked. Leonid Kadenyuk chose the Ukrainian Anthem. So, the anthem of Ukraine was played twice in space, heard over the entire planet!
After the Flight
After his space flight, Leonid Kadenyuk continued to work for the State Space Agency of Ukraine. He used his unique engineering and flight training. He had studied many different spacecraft, including the Soyuz, Buran, Salyut, Mir, and the US Space Shuttle.
He flew over 50 different types of aircraft. Most of these were fighter jets. He also flew the American training aircraft Northrop T-38.
In 1998, Kadenyuk was made a Major general in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He also became an important advisor to the President of Ukraine on aviation and space matters.
Leonid Kadenyuk wrote five scientific papers. He also wrote a book called "Mission – Space." This book won an award in 2009 and was republished in 2017.
Interesting Facts
About Space Training
Skydiving is often used to help astronauts prepare mentally. Leonid Kadenyuk once said, "Frankly speaking, I never had a passionate love for jumping. I made them because it was required." This shows how dedicated he was to his training.
About the Spacecraft "Columbia"
The Space Shuttle "Columbia" was built starting in 1975. It made 28 flights in total:
- Its first flight was on April 12, 1981.
- Leonid Kadenyuk's flight was the 24th flight, on November 19, 1997.
- Sadly, the 28th flight was its last. On February 1, 2003, the shuttle broke apart when returning to Earth, and all the astronauts on board died.
Views on Space
Leonid Kadenyuk often spoke about his experiences. He described weightlessness as a unique physical state. He said it's almost impossible to create on Earth for more than a few seconds. In space, it's constant.
He also shared his thoughts on rocket launches: "It seemed that there was a struggle between two forces: the forces of nature, which was the earth's gravity and held the ship and did not let go, and the forces of the human mind, represented by the power of the rocket."
Awards and Honors
Leonid Kadenyuk received many important awards for his contributions:
- Hero of Ukraine with the "Golden Star" award: This is the highest national title in Ukraine. He received it for his great service to Ukraine in developing space exploration.
- Order "For Courage" I degree: He received this for his outstanding contribution to Ukraine's space industry and for his bravery during the Columbia mission.
- Order "For Merits" III st.: This award recognized his significant work in the rocket and space industry.
An asteroid discovered in 2004 was named 399673 Kadenyuk in his honor. This is a very special way to remember an astronaut!
In September 2018, the Chernivtsi International Airport was also renamed after him.
Death
Leonid Kadenyuk passed away on January 31, 2018. He suffered a heart attack while running in a park in Kyiv. He was buried in the central avenue of Kyiv's Baikove Cemetery. A farewell ceremony was held in Kyiv on February 2, 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Leonid Kadeniuk para niños
- Soviet space program
- State Space Agency of Ukraine
