Gennady Mikhailovich Strekalov
Gennady Mikhailovich Strekalov was a Soviet and Russian engineer-cosmonaut whose career stretched from the Salyut station era into the Shuttle-Mir partnership. Before he flew, he worked at the Korolev design organization that became RSC Energia, giving him a technical background unusually close to the spacecraft and station hardware he later operated.
- Born
- October 26, 1940
- Died
- December 25, 2004
- Birthplace
- Mytishchi,Soviet Union
Flights
5
Spacewalks
6
EVA time
22 hours, 52 minutes
In space
268 days, 22 hours, 22 minutes
Bio
His first spaceflight, Soyuz T-3, sent him to Salyut 6 in 1980 as part of a repair and maintenance crew. He then flew Soyuz T-8 in 1983, a mission intended to dock with Salyut 7; after -system trouble and a failed manual docking attempt, the crew returned safely without reaching the station.
Strekalov's career also includes one of the most dramatic aborts in human spaceflight. In September 1983, he and Vladimir Titov survived the Soyuz 7K-ST No.16L launch-pad fire when the escape system pulled their away shortly before the exploded. He later returned to orbit on Soyuz T-11, Soyuz TM-10, and Soyuz TM-21, living aboard Salyut 7 and Mir.
By the time he returned from Mir aboard Atlantis on STS-71, Strekalov had flown five orbital missions, completed six , and spent more than 268 days in space. it combines engineering work, station maintenance, emergency survival, and the first phase of U.S.-Russian shuttle-station cooperation.