Aleksandr Vladimirovich Shchukin
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Shchukin was a Soviet test pilot and Buran cosmonaut candidate who flew the OK-GLI atmospheric analog. He did not reach orbit, but his work directly tested the handling and landing techniques intended for the reusable .
- Born
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- Died
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- Birthplace
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Flights
0
Spacewalks
N/A
EVA time
N/A
In space
No completed spaceflight
Bio
Shchukin graduated from the Kacha Higher Military Aviation School and built an experimental-flight career before joining the Buran preparation effort. The program selected experienced pilots who could evaluate an unfamiliar winged spacecraft across steep approaches, unpowered landing profiles, and automated-control development.
He flew the BTS-02 / OK-GLI analog during the atmospheric test campaign and was considered for a future piloted Buran crew. Those flights remained aircraft tests below spaceflight altitude, so they are not counted as completed space missions or time in space.
Shchukin died in a Su-26M test-flight accident in August 1988, three months before Buran's uncrewed orbital flight. His card preserves the flight-test contribution without converting atmospheric trials into orbital missions.