Sergey Avdeev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sergei Avdeyev
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| Born | 1 January 1956 Chapayevsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
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| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Awards | Hero of the Russian Federation |
| Space career | |
| Roscosmos cosmonaut | |
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Time in space
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747d 14h 14m |
| Selection | 1987 |
| Missions | Soyuz TM-15 (Mir EO-12), Soyuz TM-22 (Mir EO-20), Soyuz TM-28/Soyuz TM-29 (Mir EO-26/27) |
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Mission insignia
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Sergei Vasilyevich Avdeyev (Сергей Васильевич Авдеев; born January 1, 1956) is a retired Russian engineer and cosmonaut. He is famous for spending a very long time in space.
Sergei Avdeyev was born in Chapayevsk, a city in Russia. He studied at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute and became an engineer-physicist in 1979. After graduating, he worked as an engineer for a company called NPO Energiya until 1987.
He was chosen to become a cosmonaut in 1987. His training to become a space traveler lasted from December 1987 to July 1989. Sergei Avdeyev retired from being a cosmonaut on February 14, 2003.
Sergei Avdeyev once held the world record for the most time spent in space. He spent a total of 747.59 days orbiting Earth. He achieved this amazing feat over three different missions aboard the Mir Space Station. During his time in space, he orbited Earth 11,968 times! This means he traveled about 515,000,000 kilometers. Another cosmonaut, Sergei K. Krikalev, later broke his record in 2005. The current record holder is Oleg Kononenko, who surpassed it in February 2024.
Sergei Avdeyev is married and has two children. He also enjoys amateur radio, which is a hobby where people talk to each other using radio signals. His special radio call sign is RV3DW.
Contents
Traveling Through Time: Sergei Avdeyev's Record
For a long time, Sergei Avdeyev held a special record related to something called time dilation. This is a real effect from physics where time can pass slightly differently for people moving at very high speeds.
What is Time Dilation?
Imagine you are on Earth, and Sergei Avdeyev is zooming around in space on the Mir station. Because he was moving so incredibly fast (about 27,360 kilometers per hour!), time passed a tiny bit slower for him compared to people on Earth.
How Much Slower Did He Age?
Over his 747 days in space, Sergei Avdeyev aged about 0.02 seconds (or 20 milliseconds) less than someone who stayed on Earth. This might not sound like much, but it's the most any human has experienced due to speed, except for Sergei Krikalev. It's a cool example of how physics works in space!
Sergei Avdeyev's Space Missions
Sergei Avdeyev completed three long missions aboard the Mir Space Station. Each mission added to his incredible total time in space.
- Soyuz TM-15: This mission lasted from July 27, 1992, to February 1, 1993. He spent 188 days, 21 hours, 41 minutes, and 15 seconds in space.
- Soyuz TM-22: His second flight was from September 3, 1995, to February 29, 1996. This mission was 179 days, 1 hour, 41 minutes, and 45 seconds long.
- Soyuz TM-28 and Soyuz TM-29: His longest mission started on August 13, 1998, and ended on August 28, 1999. He spent an amazing 379 days, 14 hours, 51 minutes, and 9 seconds in space during this trip.
Spacewalks: Adventures Outside the Station
Sergei Avdeyev also performed many spacewalks, which are called Extravehicular Activities (EVAs). During these spacewalks, astronauts go outside the spacecraft to do repairs or other tasks. In total, he spent 42 hours and 2 minutes outside the Mir station.
- September 3, 1992: 3 hours, 56 minutes
- September 7, 1992: 5 hours, 8 minutes
- September 11, 1992: 5 hours, 44 minutes
- September 15, 1992: 3 hours, 33 minutes
- October 20, 1995: 5 hours, 11 minutes
- December 8, 1995: 0 hours, 37 minutes (a short one!)
- September 15, 1998: 0 hours, 30 minutes (another quick one!)
- November 17, 1998: 5 hours, 54 minutes
- July 23, 1999: 6 hours, 7 minutes (his longest spacewalk!)
- July 28, 1999: 5 hours, 22 minutes
Awards and Recognition
Sergei Avdeyev has received many important awards for his bravery and achievements in space.
- Hero of the Russian Federation: This is one of the highest honors in Russia. He received it on February 5, 1993, for his first successful spaceflight.
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland: He received this award twice, in 1996 and 1999, for his courage during his long space missions.
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration": Awarded on April 12, 2011, for his great contributions to space research.
- Chevalier of the Legion of Honour: This is a special award from France, given to him in March 1999.
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation: He received this title on February 5, 1993, recognizing him as a top Russian cosmonaut.
- Honorary Citizen of Chapayevsk, Samara Oblast: His hometown honored him in 2004.
See also
In Spanish: Serguéi Avdéyev para niños
