A highly decorated astronaut and pilot who flew on multiple space missions, including a record-breaking 379-day stay on the Mir space station. He's a hero in the Russian space program.
As a veteran of two extended spaceflights, Yury Onufriyenko has etched his name in the annals of space exploration history. This Russian cosmonaut has had the privilege of commanding the space station Mir in 1996 and the International Space Station in 2001-2002, accumulating a staggering 389 days in space.
Born on February 6, 1961, in Ryasne, Zolochiv Raion of Kharkiv Oblast, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), Onufriyenko grew up with a passion for aviation. He graduated from the V.M. Komarov Eisk Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots in 1982 with a pilot-engineer's diploma. Later, in 1994, he earned a degree in cartography from Moscow State University.
Selected as a cosmonaut candidate in 1989, Onufriyenko underwent rigorous training, including a course of general space training from September 1989 to January 1991, and later as a member of the test cosmonauts group. He was eventually assigned to command the standby crew of the Mir-18 expedition aboard the Soyuz TM-21 spacecraft and the Mir space station as part of the Shuttle-Mir program.
From February 21 to September 2, 1996, Onufriyenko commanded the Mir EO-21 mission, where he spent 145 days in space. During this mission, he conducted several spacewalks, including one with NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid, and was responsible for conducting scientific experiments and overseeing the station's operations.
For his outstanding contributions to space exploration, Onufriyenko has been awarded several prestigious honors, including:
Onufriyenko is married to Valentina Mikhailovna Onufrienko, and they have two sons, Yuri and Aleksandr, and a daughter, Elena. He enjoys tennis, cooking, fishing, chess, and aviation in his free time. His parents have passed away, and he has two older brothers.
Yury Onufriyenko's remarkable career has inspired generations of astronauts and cosmonauts. His dedication to space exploration and his contributions to the advancement of human knowledge have left an indelible mark on the world.
As we look to the stars, we remember Onufriyenko's words of wisdom: "The most important thing is not to be the first, but to be the best." His legacy continues to inspire us to reach for the stars and push the boundaries of human achievement.
68 Years Old
Russian engineer and astronaut who spent 803 days in space, holding the record for the most time in space until 2015, and was a hero in the Soviet Union. He flew on six space missions and was a key figure in the Russian space program.
68 Years Old
Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut who holds the record for the most time spent in space, with a total of 879 days, and has flown on seven space missions. He is a highly decorated cosmonaut and a veteran of the Russian space program.
70 Years Old
Russian engineer and astronaut who spent a record 379 days in space, conducting numerous scientific experiments and spacewalks, and holds the record for the longest single spaceflight.
