Lev Dyomin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lev Dyomin
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Dyomin in 1974
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| Born |
Lev Stepanovich Dyomin
11 January 1926 |
| Died | 18 December 1998 (aged 72) Zvyozdny Gorodok, Russia
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| Nationality | Soviet |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
| Space career | |
| Cosmonaut | |
| Rank | Colonel, Soviet Air Force |
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Time in space
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2d 00h 12m |
| Selection | Air Force Group 2 |
| Missions | Soyuz 15 |
Lev Stepanovich Dyomin (born January 11, 1926 – died December 18, 1998) was a Soviet cosmonaut. A cosmonaut is like an astronaut, but from the Soviet Union. He flew into space on the Soyuz 15 mission in 1974. This spaceflight was meant to connect with the space station Salyut 3, but the connection did not happen.
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Lev Dyomin: A Pioneer in Space
Lev Dyomin was born in Moscow, the capital city of Russia. He studied hard and earned a special degree in engineering. This was from the Soviet Air Force Engineering Academy. He also became a Colonel in the Soviet Air Force.
His Space Mission: Soyuz 15
When Lev Dyomin flew on Soyuz 15, he was 48 years old. This made him the oldest cosmonaut to go into space at that time. He was also the first grandfather to travel to space. His mission lasted just over two days.
The main goal of the Soyuz 15 mission was to dock, or connect, with the Salyut 3 space station. Docking is like parking a spaceship next to a space station. This allows astronauts to move between the two. Unfortunately, the automatic docking system on Soyuz 15 did not work correctly. Because of this, the crew could not connect with the space station. They had to return to Earth without completing this part of their mission.
Life After Space
Lev Dyomin stayed in the space program until 1982. After leaving the program, he started to focus on deep-sea research. This means he studied the deepest parts of the ocean. He passed away in 1998 from cancer. He died in Zvyozdny Gorodok, which is also known as Star City. This is where many cosmonauts live and train.
Awards and Recognition
Lev Dyomin received several important awards for his service and achievements. These awards honored his bravery and contributions to space exploration.
Some of his notable awards include:
- Hero of the Soviet Union
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR
- Order of Lenin
- Order of the Red Banner of Labour
- Medal "For Battle Merit"
- Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands"
- Order of the Banner of the People's Republic of Bulgaria
