Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa
Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa is a Mongolian military officer, aerospace engineer, cosmonaut, and political figure who became the first Mongolian citizen in space. His flight came through the Intercosmos program, which gave allied nations of the Soviet Union access to short-duration research missions aboard Soviet spacecraft and stations.
- Born
- December 5, 1947
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Gurvanbulag, Bulgan Province,Mongolia
Flights
1
Spacewalks
N/A
EVA time
N/A
In space
7 days, 20 hours, 42 minutes
Bio
Gürragchaa joined the Mongolian Air Force in the 1960s and later studied at the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy. He was selected for Intercosmos training in 1978, with Maidarjavyn Ganzorig serving as his backup.
He launched on Soyuz 39 with Vladimir Dzhanibekov in March 1981. The crew docked with Salyut 6 and carried out Mongolian and Soviet research, including and station-based scientific experiments, before returning after just under eight days in orbit.
After the flight, Gürragchaa became a major national figure in Mongolia, later serving as defense minister and as a member of parliament.