Lev Stepanovich Dyomin
Lev Stepanovich Dyomin was a Soviet Air Force officer, engineer, and cosmonaut who flew one short but difficult mission during the early military Salyut station era. His single flight, Soyuz 15, is remembered mainly because it failed to dock with Salyut 3.
- Born
- January 11, 1926
- Died
- December 18, 1998
- Birthplace
- Moscow,Soviet Union
Flights
1
Spacewalks
N/A
EVA time
N/A
In space
2 days, 12 minutes
Bio
Dyomin served in military aviation and technical roles before cosmonaut selection. He was part of the generation of Soviet officers trained for Almaz and Salyut operations, where military station objectives and technology were closely linked.
Soyuz 15 launched in August 1974 with Gennadi Sarafanov and Dyomin. The mission attempted to dock with Salyut 3, but rendezvous-system problems prevented docking, and the crew returned safely after about two days in orbit.
Although brief, Dyomin's mission is important because it shows that early station operations were not routine. Docking and rendezvous were still demanding technical problems, and a failed docking could define an entire crew's flight record.