Pilot-cosmonaut of the Russian Federation Usachev Yuri

Each of us, probably, dreamed of the cosmos as a child, dreamed of exploring the universe, of experiencing it, but of pursuing these aspirations through the years and implementing them not to everyone on the shoulder.

77 th on the scale of the country and the 305th cosmonaut in the world - this seems to us the pilot-cosmonaut of the Russian Federation - Usachev Yuri. This man was not only fortunate enough to realize his childhood dreams of the sky, but also to become one of the most deserved and respected cosmonauts, both in the country and abroad.

In addition, Usachev managed to popularize astronautics, bring it to the masses. Yuri came up with the idea of trying his hand at writing. And he, of course, succeeded. Everyone can learn about his works today. It is enough only to reach the nearest library and find the necessary shelf.

This is the well-known to each of us talented space admirer Yuri Usachev. Photos of his completed flights adorn the pages of each of his works.

Childhood, School and Student's Time

Yuri was born in the Rostov region on October 9, 1957. For information, he was not the only child in the family - he still had an older brother and sister who was a few minutes older. The boy's mother worked all his life at the factory as a technician, and his father was a miner and an underground electrician.

Usachev Yuri grew up a very intelligent child and already at the age of six his parents gave him to the first class of the secondary school No. 5 in the city of Donetsk. In addition to studying, the boy devoted himself entirely to sports. He was especially interested in such kinds of struggle as sambo and judo.

After school, he got a job as a turner at a cotton-spinning factory, where he worked for a relatively short time - the young man was sent by the military commissar to the courses of the Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Fleet, on the occasion of graduation, he was given a driver's license of the 3rd class. After a while, Yuri was called up for military service. There after the end of the compulsory academic unit, he was appointed commander of the department.

Upon his return from the army service in 1978, he enters Moscow for preparatory courses at the Orzhonikidze Aviation Institute. In September, he is enrolled in the Faculty of Cosmonautics, which subsequently successfully graduates in 1985 with a diploma in Mechanical Engineering.

At the beginning of the journey

In connection with the difficult material situation in the family, Yuri had to combine study with work. And being a student of the aviation institute, he was lucky to take the place of senior laboratory assistant at the faculty, which helped to work not at the expense of the educational process. And during the production practice, which lasted from February to April 1985, he tried on the role of a sailor training ship called "Saima".

Somewhat later he comes as an engineer to the Rocket and Space Corporation Energia named after Korolev, where, having worked his first three years, decides to apply for admission to the cosmonaut detachment. The statement of the young but very promising young man was approved by the authorities and immediately sent him to the medical commission.

As a result, in October 1988, doctors recognized him fit for service and, on October 21, he was admitted to further special training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. And a day later, his only and dearly beloved daughter, Eugene, appears on the light. According to the cosmonaut himself, this was the best gift that life could give him.

Space activities of Usachev

At the end of January 1989 Usachev Yuri Vladimirovich, the cosmonaut, was recommended to be included in the main part of the rocket and space corporation "Energia". There, he begins work on the launch vehicle and takes active part with the rest in the consideration of issues related to the further construction of aircraft, and is taken to develop a plan for going into outer space.

Exactly a month later he is given the position of test cosmonaut. There he meets an experienced pilot and future commander of the crew - Yuri Onufrienko. And already in 1991 he was enlisted in the team of the space corporation "Energia". Subsequently, he passes general space training on an orbital haven under the name "Mir".

From mid-October 1992 to January 1993, he carries out the necessary preparations for flying into outer space, trying on the role of an onboard engineer-mechanic of the ship.

On January 24 of the same year Usachev Yuri acted as the duplicating face of the onboard engineer of the leading expedition to the Mir or Soyuz TM-15 orbital station, Captain Poleshchuk. From February 8 to June 24, Yuri carried out the next special training for cosmonauts, only in accordance with the program EO-14. These changes were due to the fact that Yuri and his former commander-in-chief, Tsibliev, had no experience of flying into outer space behind their shoulders and the higher authorities did not dare leave them alone in one carriage, but perhaps in different ways.

On July 1, 1993, he again acted as an understudy on-board engineer of the fourteenth main expedition. And on August 16 the astronaut was already forced to begin the next preparation for the expedition.

First flight

The first and long-awaited flight to the open airless space, Yuri Usachev (cosmonaut), carried out in the period from January to July 1994 on a Soyuz-18 rocket and Mir orbital complex together with Polyakov and Afanasyev, who later became his best friends. Upon his return to Earth, he was awarded the title of Hero of Russia, the Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation and also a single-minded and promising researcher was awarded the qualification of a third-class test cosmonaut.

After spending some time on a well-deserved vacation, Usachev Yuri decides to return to work. True, very soon he was again summoned to the second crew of EO-19 instead of the well-known Poleschuk. The astronaut quickly gained momentum and perfected his flight skills in the past flight in space.

On June 27, 1995, he acted as an understudy of the onboard engineer of the leading crew of Budarin. Then he set to work on the next training, although now he was speaking in the first crew of the ship.

The second flight

The next trip to the airspace began on February 21 and lasted until September 2, 1996 as part of the Soyuz-23 team and the twenty-first expedition into orbit. The second flight was for Usachev debut - during it was lucky to carry out six successful outlets in the open space, to which he spent a total of thirty hours and the same minutes of his time.

From May 19 to May 29, 2000 Usachev Yuri carried out the third in his life flight on the spacecraft of the new generation Atlantis. This expedition lasted for nine days and twenty hours and assumed the performance of works to restore the ISS board.

Fourth Flight

The fourth time, Yuri Vladimirovich flew on March 8, 2001 as part of the second ISS crew on a spaceship called Discovery.

Other activities of the astronaut

He managed to combine brave space travel and writing books. The Russian astronaut Yuri Usachev is so versatile. "One day in space" - one of the most famous of his creations, which was especially to the liking of both critics and experienced readers.

Yuri also shared his impressions with the public through writing, where he described in detail each of his flights. His first debut was called "Diary of an Astronaut", 2004 release. The book immediately fell into the liking of readers and brought the author fame in the writer's field.

As far as we know, the writer's activity completely captured the scientist. He does not intend to stop at what he has achieved. Yuri Vladimirovich is obsessed with a lot of ideas and undertakings. So let's wish this wonderful and incredibly talented man further creative successes!

Conclusion

With such a great, purposeful and strong-willed person, we had an opportunity to get acquainted in this article. After all, Yury Usachev has similar qualities. Biography of this astronaut is able to surprise, delight and even motivate every desperate lover of space for great achievements.