RGNIITsPK picture

Yuri Pavlovich GIDZENKO

Crew Commander of the Soyuz TM-34 Spacecraft,
Colonel, Test Cosmonaut-Instructor
of Yu. A. Gagarin RGNIITsPK, Russia

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: March 26, 1962, Elanets village, Elanets district, Nikolaev region, USSR (the Ukraine).
Father: Pavel Vasilievich Gidzenko, born in 1937.
Mother: Galina Mikhailovna Gidzenko, born in 1940. They live in Berezovka-2, Odessa area.

EDUCATION: In 1983 he graduated from Kharkov Higher Military Pilot School after S.I. Gritsevets, Twice Hero of the Soviet Union. He was trained for command, tactical fighter aviation and got the following diploma: Military pilot-engineer. In 1994 he graduated from Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography. His speciality was Investigation of natural resources.

FAMILY STATUS: married.
Wife: Olga Vladimirovna Gidzenko (Shapovalova), born in 1961.
Sons: Sergei, born in 1986, Aleksandr, born in 1988.

AWARDS AND RANKS: Hero of the Russian Federation, Pilot Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation, decorated with Gold Star Medal of the Hero of the Russian Federation, Order of Military Services, Medals of the Russian Federation.

HOBBIES: football, swimming, tennis, reading of literature, photography, walks in the woods. He is a first-grade judoka.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Since 1983 he served as a pilot and master pilot in Air Force units of the Odessa military district. By July 30, 1987 his flying hours by planes L-39, MiG-21 were 213 hours and his flying hours by plane MiG-23M were more than 500 hours.
He is a 1-st class cosmonaut, 3-rd class military pilot, a parachute-landing training instructor, diver officer. He performed 2 long term flights in space; the total duration of these flights was 320 days; he made 2 egresses into open space, the total duration of these egresses was 3 hours 35 min. On March 26, 1987 by decision of the State Interdepartmental Committee he was recommended for enlistment in the cosmonaut detachment of AF CTC. Since October 6, 1987 he has been a candidate for test cosmonauts.
From December 1987 to June 1989 he passed a course of general space training at Yu. A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. On July 21, 1989 by decision of the Interdepartmental Qualification Committee he got a qualification of a test cosmonaut.
From 1989 to 1994 he passed training in the cosmonaut group under the Mir OC program.
From July to October 1994 he passed training under PC-17 and Euromir-94 programs as the backup crew commander together with S. Avdeev and P. Duke (Spain, ESA). From December 1994 to August 1995 he passed training for a space flight onboard the Soyuz TM transport vehicle and Mir Orbital Complex under PC-20/Euromir-95 programs as the prime crew commander together with S. Avdeev and T. Raiter (FRG, ESA).
From September 3, 1995 to February 29, 1996 he performed the 1-st space flight as the commander of the Soyuz TM-22 spacecraft and Mir Orbital Complex under PC-20/Euromir-95 programs together with S. Avdeev and T. Raiter (FRG, ESA). He worked aboard the station with the following crews; namely PC-19 (A. Soloviev and N. Budarin) and PC-21 (Yu. Onufrienko and Yu. Usachev) and also with the Atlantis Orbiter crew (STS-74). During this flight he performed two egresses into open space (the total duration was 3 hours 35 min).
The flight duration was 179 days 01 hour 41 min 46 s.
Since August 26, 1996 he has been a test cosmonaut-instructor.
From August to October 1996 he passed training for flight as the prime crew commander under PC-24 program together with P. Vinogradov.
In October 1996 he was transferred to the prime crew of the first expedition to the ISS.
From October 1996 to October 2000 he passed training as the Soyuz spacecraft commander for the prime crew of the first expedition to the ISS.
Since November 27, 1997 he has been the group commander, test cosmonaut-instructor.
From October 31, 2000 to March 21, 2001 he performed the 2-nd space flight as the Soyuz TM-31 spacecraft commander and ISS pilot under ISS-1 program together with S. Krikalev and W. Shapperd (USA).
The flight duration was 140 days 23 hours 38 min 55s.
Since August 2001 he has passed training for space flight as the prime crew commander of the Soyuz TM transport vehicle (the ISS third visiting crew).

April 2002.
Based on materials from Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center