Yuri Romanenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yuri Romanenko
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| Born | 1 August 1944 Orenburg Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
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| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | Soviet/Russian |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union (twice) Hero of the Republic of Cuba |
| Space career | |
| Cosmonaut | |
| Rank | Colonel, Soviet Air Force |
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Time in space
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430d 18h 21m |
| Selection | Air Force Group 5 |
| Missions | Salyut 6 EO-1 (Soyuz 26/Soyuz 27), Salyut 6 EP-8 (Soyuz 38), Mir EO-2 (Soyuz TM-2/Soyuz TM-3) |
| Retirement | 1988 |
Yuri Viktorovich Romanenko (born August 1, 1944) is a famous former Soviet cosmonaut. He was honored twice as a Hero of the Soviet Union.
Yuri Romanenko spent over 430 days in space during his career. He also completed 18 hours of space walks. In 1987, he lived on the Mir space station for 326 days. This was the longest time anyone had stayed in space back then. His son, Roman Romanenko, is also a cosmonaut. This makes them one of the few father-son duos to travel to space.
Contents
Becoming a Cosmonaut
Yuri Romanenko was born on August 1, 1944. His birthplace was Koltubanovskiy village in the Orenburg Oblast of the Soviet Union. His father was a senior commander on military ships. His mother worked as a combat medic.
Early Life and Hobbies
His family later moved to Kaliningrad. There, he finished secondary school in 1961. As a student, Yuri enjoyed building model aircraft and ships. He also liked boxing, shooting, and underwater fishing. After school, he worked briefly as a locksmith and builder.
Training for Space
In 1962, he joined the Chernigov High Air Force School in Ukraine. He graduated with honors in 1966. After graduating, he stayed at the school. He trained students and prepared to become a cosmonaut. In 1970, he was approved for space flights. Only 16 other cosmonauts were chosen at that time.
Amazing Space Missions
Yuri Romanenko completed three important space missions. Each mission added to his impressive career.
First Flight: Salyut 6
His first journey into space began on December 10, 1977. He flew on Soyuz 26 to the Salyut 6 space station. Romanenko was the flight commander. Georgi Grechko was the engineer. They stayed in orbit for 96 days and 10 hours. During this time, they met other spacecraft like Soyuz 27, Soyuz 28, and Progress 1. Romanenko also performed a space walk that lasted one and a half hours.
Second Flight: International Crew
On September 18, 1980, Romanenko took his second flight. He flew on Soyuz 38 with Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez. Méndez was the first Cuban cosmonaut. They traveled to Salyut 6 and returned seven days later. This flight made Méndez the first person from a Spanish-speaking country and the first person of African descent in space.
Longest Stay on Mir
Romanenko's third and final flight was on February 6, 1987. He launched on Soyuz TM-2 with Aleksandr Laveykin. They went to the Mir space station. Romanenko spent 326 days aboard Mir. This was the longest time any human had stayed in space at that point. He performed three space walks during this mission. These walks took place on April 11, June 11, and June 16, 1987. Their total time was 8 hours and 48 minutes. He returned to Earth on December 29, 1987, aboard Soyuz TM-3.
After Space Flights
Romanenko retired from space flights in 1988. He then became the director of the Buran program. This was a Soviet project similar to the American Space Shuttle. The Buran program had one flight in 1988 before it was canceled in 1993.
A Close Call in Space
During his time on the Salyut 6 station in 1977, Romanenko and Grechko had to do spacewalks. They needed to check for possible damage to the station. This damage had prevented another spacecraft, Soyuz 25, from docking.
One time, they were both in their spacewalk suits inside the airlock. Romanenko was getting ready for a spacewalk. He pushed off the wall to move outside but forgot to attach his safety cord. Luckily, Grechko quickly grabbed the cord with one hand, stopping Romanenko. This quick action prevented a serious situation.
Awards and Honors
Yuri Romanenko received many awards for his bravery and achievements:
- Twice Hero of the Soviet Union (March 16, 1978, and September 26, 1980)
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR
- Three Orders of Lenin (1978, 1980, and 1987)
- Order of the Red Star (1976)
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" (Russian Federation)
- Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1978)
- Hero of the Republic of Cuba (1980)
- Order "Madara Horseman" (Bulgarian Socialist Republic)
- Order of Klement Gottwald (Czechoslovak Socialist Republic)
- Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation" (Czechoslovak Socialist Republic)
Military Career
Romanenko was a skilled pilot. He flew several types of aircraft, including the Yak-18, L-29, Mig-15, Mig-17, and Mig-21. He also completed 39 parachute jumps. He rose through the military ranks:
- Lieutenant (October 27, 1966)
- Captain (February 3, 1971)
- Major (February 21, 1974)
- Lieutenant Colonel (December 14, 1976)
- Colonel (March 17, 1978)
He retired from military service on October 2, 1995.
Personal Life
Yuri Romanenko has a half-brother named Vladimir (born in 1940) and a sister named Olga (born in 1954). He is married and has two sons. His son, Roman Romanenko (born August 9, 1971), is also a cosmonaut. Roman commanded the Soyuz TMA-15 mission. His other son is Artem (born May 17, 1977).
Throughout his life, Yuri Romanenko loved underwater fishing and other water activities. While in space, he started writing and singing his own songs. After his flight with Méndez and his retirement in 1988, Yuri and his family were invited to Cuba. There, Fidel Castro personally met them. Knowing Romanenko's love for hunting and underwater fishing, Castro arranged a special tour. He even went freediving with Romanenko to a depth of 10 meters.
See also
In Spanish: Yuri Romanenko para niños
