FYODOR NIKOLAYEVICH YURCHIKHIN (PH.D.) RSC ENERGIA TEST-COSMONAUTFyodor Nikolayevich Yurchikhin is a Greek-Russian cosmonaut and RSC Energia test-pilot who has flown on several missions, including STS-112, Soyuz TMA-10, and Expedition 15. He has collectively spent over 207 days in space.
In October 2002, Fyodor became the first Greek in space, participating in the STS-112 mission for the International Space Station. A Russian citizen of Pontian Greek descent, he called his mother from orbit, speaking to her in the Pontian Greek dialect. He also carried a Greek flag with him which was later presented to the President of Greece.
PERSONAL DATA: Fyodor was born January 3, 1959, in Batumi, Georgia in the Former USSR, to Pontian Greeks Nikolai Fyodorovich Yurchikhin and Mikrula Sofoklevna Yurchikhina, who now reside in Sindos, Greece.
Fyodor is married to Larisa Anatolievna Yurshikina and they have two daughters. He also has a brother, 2 years younger. Hobbies include collecting stamps and space logos, sports, history of cosmonautics, and promotion of space. He also enjoys reading history, science fiction and the classics.
EDUCATION: After graduation from high school in Batumi in 1976, he entered the Moscow Aviation Institute named after Sergey Ordzhonikidze. He finished studying in 1983, and is qualified as a mechanical engineer, specializing in airspace vehicles. In 2001, he graduated from the Moscow Service State University with a Ph.D. in economics.
EXPERIENCE: Since graduating from the S. Ordzhonikidze Moscow Aviation Institute in 1983, Yurchikhin has worked at the Russian Space Corporation Energia. He began working as a controller in the Russian Mission Control Center, and held the positions of engineer, senior engineer, and lead engineer, eventually becoming a lead engineer for Shuttle-Mir and NASA-Mir Programs.
In August 1997, he was enrolled in the RSC Energia cosmonaut detachment as a cosmonaut-candidate.
From January 1998 to November 1999, he completed his basic training course. In November 1999, he was qualified as a test cosmonaut. In January 2000, he started training in the test-cosmonaut group for the ISS program.
In October 2002, Fyodor Yurchikhin flew aboard STS-112. In completing his first space flight he has logged a total of 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes in space.
Fyodor Yurchikhin is currently serving a six month tour of duty as commander of the Expedition-15 mission to the International Space Station. Expedition-15 launched on April 7 aboard a Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft arriving at the ISS complex on April 9, 2007.
SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-112 Atlantis (October 7-18, 2002) launched from and returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-112 was an International Space Station assembly mission during which the crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition-5 by delivering and installing the S-One Truss (the third piece of the station's 11-piece Integrated Truss Structure). Three spacewalks were required to outfit and activate the new component. The crew also transferred cargo between the two vehicles and used the shuttle's thruster jets during two maneuvers to raise the station's orbit. STS-112 was the first shuttle mission to use a camera on the External Tank, providing a live view of the launch to flight controllers and NASA TV viewers. The STS-112 mission was accomplished in 170 orbits, traveling 4.5 million miles in 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes.
Sources: NASA, Wikipedia, Macedonia on the Web
nice to hear that pontian greeks have maintained their culture in russia
ReplyDeleteHas anybody his coordinates ? If so please mail to geo@att.biz
ReplyDeleteThank you
Charis Kosmas