Astronaut Profile
Yuri P. Gidzenko
Soyuz Commander
Yuri Gidzenko piloted the Soyuz spacecraft that carried the International Space Station's first resident crew into orbit, and later commanded it home again four months later.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Soyuz Commander • Living
Biography
The person behind the mission
Yuri P. Gidzenko is a Russian Air Force pilot and cosmonaut who first flew to the Mir space station aboard Soyuz TM-22 in 1995. In October 2000, he served as Soyuz Commander for Expedition 1, launching alongside American astronaut William Shepherd and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev to become the International Space Station's first resident crew, and piloting the Soyuz spacecraft that returned them to Earth roughly four months later.
Astronaut Details
Born
March 26, 1962
Birthplace
Elanets, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Role
Soyuz Commander
Program
International Space Station
Time in Space
Approximately 330 days
Missions
Soyuz TM-22, Expedition 1, Soyuz TM-34
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Hero of the Russian Federation
- Order For Merit to the Fatherland