Yuri Gidzenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yuri Gidzenko
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| Born | March 26, 1962 Yelanets, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
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| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Awards | Hero of the Russian Federation |
| Space career | |
| Roscosmos cosmonaut | |
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Time in space
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329d 22h 44min |
| Selection | 1987 |
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Total EVAs
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2 |
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Total EVA time
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3 hours 43 minutes |
| Missions | Soyuz TM-22 (Mir EO-20), Soyuz TM-31/STS-102 (Expedition 1), Soyuz TM-34/Soyuz TM-33 |
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Mission insignia
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Yuri Pavlovich Gidzenko (Russian: Юрий Павлович Гидзенко) was born on March 26, 1962. He is a Russian cosmonaut who has flown into space three times. He worked as a test cosmonaut at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. Yuri Gidzenko has lived on both the Mir space station and the International Space Station (ISS). He also performed two spacewalks during his career. After retiring from active space flights in 2001, he continued to work at the Cosmonaut Training Center.
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About Yuri Gidzenko
Yuri Gidzenko was born in Yelanets, Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. He is married to Olga Vladimirovna Shapovalova. They have two sons, Sergei and Alexander. Yuri Gidzenko enjoys playing football, swimming, reading, photography, and taking walks in forests.
Education and Early Career
Yuri Gidzenko finished the Higher Military Pilot School in Kharkiv in 1983. Later, in 1994, he graduated from the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography. There he studied geodesy and cartography, which is about measuring and mapping the Earth.
After pilot school, Gidzenko served as a pilot in the Russian Air Force. He flew three types of aircraft and spent 850 hours flying. He is also an instructor for parachute jumping and has made 170 jumps.
Becoming a Cosmonaut
Yuri Gidzenko started his basic space training in December 1987. He became a test cosmonaut candidate. From 1989, he continued with advanced training. He also trained as a backup crew commander for a space flight in 1994. From November 1994 to August 1995, he trained to be the main commander for the Expedition 20 crew on the Mir space station.
Mir EO-20 Mission (Euromir 95)
Yuri Gidzenko was the commander of the Mir EO-20 mission, also known as Euromir 95. This mission lasted from September 3, 1995, to February 29, 1996. He spent 179 days in space during this time. Another astronaut on this mission was Thomas Reiter from the European Space Agency (ESA).
The Soyuz TM-22 spacecraft, carrying Gidzenko, Sergei Avdeyev, and Reiter, launched on September 3, 1995. Two days later, the Soyuz docked with the Mir space station. The three astronauts became the 20th crew to live on Mir.
The main goals of the Euromir 95 mission were to:
- Study how being in space affects the human body.
- Experiment with making new materials in space.
- Collect samples of cosmic dust and tiny man-made particles in orbit.
- Test new space equipment.
During the mission, they also worked with the crew of the STS-74 Space Shuttle. They did medical experiments and environmental studies together. Two unmanned cargo spacecraft, Progress M-29 and Progress M-30, brought supplies and equipment to Mir.
On February 29, 1996, Yuri Gidzenko returned to Earth in the Soyuz TM-22 capsule.
Expedition 1 to the ISS
From November 2000 to March 2001, Yuri Gidzenko was part of the very first crew to live permanently on the International Space Station (ISS). This crew was called Expedition 1. He launched into space on the Soyuz TM-31 spacecraft on October 31, 2000. He was the commander of the Soyuz spacecraft.
After two days, the Soyuz docked with the Zvezda Service Module of the ISS. Gidzenko became a flight engineer for Expedition 1. The crew lived on the ISS for over four months. They helped put together the station as new parts, like the U.S. Destiny Laboratory, were added. They also activated important life support systems and unpacked supplies left by earlier Shuttle crews.
The Expedition 1 crew welcomed three visiting Space Shuttle crews: STS-97, STS-98, and STS-102. They also unloaded supplies from two unmanned Russian Progress spacecraft.
In March 2001, the Expedition 1 crew returned to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery (Discovery). Yuri Gidzenko spent 140 days in space during this mission.
Soyuz TM-34/Soyuz TM-33 Mission
Yuri Gidzenko's third space flight began on April 25, 2002. He launched on the Soyuz TM-34 mission. With him were ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori and South African space tourist Mark Shuttleworth. Gidzenko was the commander of the Soyuz spacecraft for this flight.
After two days, the Soyuz docked with the Zarya module of the ISS. On the ISS, Gidzenko and his crew worked with the resident Expedition 4 crew. They did educational and science activities. They also swapped out seat liners from the Soyuz TM-34 to the older Soyuz TM-33 spacecraft, which would be used for their return.
On May 5, 2002, Yuri Gidzenko returned to Earth in the Soyuz TM-33 spacecraft. This mission lasted 9 days.
Spacewalks
Yuri Gidzenko has performed two spacewalks during his time on the Mir space station.
- First Spacewalk: On December 8, 1995, Gidzenko and cosmonaut Avdeyev performed their first spacewalk. They worked outside the Mir station for 37 minutes. They moved a docking unit to prepare for the arrival of the Priroda module.
- Second Spacewalk: On February 8, 1996, Gidzenko and ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter did their second spacewalk. They moved a maneuvering unit and attached it to the outside of the Kvant 2 module. They also retrieved some cassettes from another module. This spacewalk lasted 3 hours and 6 minutes.
Film and Awards
Yuri Gidzenko appeared in the film Space Station 3D.
He has received many important awards for his work as a cosmonaut, including:
- Hero of the Russian Federation (1996)
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland (3rd and 4th class)
- Order of Military Merit
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"
- NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal from the United States
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation
See also
In Spanish: Yuri Guidzenko para niños
- List of Heroes of the Russian Federation
