Aleksandr Panayotov Aleksandrov
Aleksandr Aleksandrov | |
---|---|
Александър Александров | |
1978 Intercosmos Group | |
Missions | Mir EP-2 (Soyuz TM-5 / Soyuz TM-4) |
Mission insignia |
Aleksandr Panayotov Aleksandrov (Bulgarian: Александър Панайотов Александров) (born December 1, 1951) is a retired Bulgarian cosmonaut. He is the second Bulgarian to have flown to space, behind Georgi Ivanov.[1][2]
Biography
Aleksandrov was born in Omurtag, Bulgaria on December 1, 1951. He graduated from the Bulgarian Air Force Academy in 1974 and obtained a degree in technical sciences in 1983. In the Bulgarian Air Force, Aleksandrov rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.[2]
Aleksandrov was selected as a research cosmonaut on March 1, 1978, as part of the
On June 7, 1988, Aleksandrov launched aboard TM-5 as a research cosmonaut along with mission commander Anatoly Solovyev and Viktor Savinykh. Upon arriving at Mir, Aleksandrov became the first Bulgarian to reach a Soviet space station, as the Soyuz 33 mission carrying Georgi Ivanov failed to reach the Salyut 6 space station. On June 17, Aleksandrov returned aboard Soyuz TM-4 along with his fellow crew members. He, along with his crew-mates, spent just under 10 days in space.[4]
Aleksandrov later became Deputy Director of the Institute of Space Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.[2]
Currently Aleksandrov works as a research scientist. He is married and has one child.[2]
Honours and awards
- Hero of the People's Republic of Bulgaria (1988)
- Hero of the Soviet Union (1988)
- Order of Georgi Dimitrov
- Order of Lenin (1988)
- Order of Stara Planina(2003), first class, on the 15th anniversary of the second Soviet-Bulgarian flight
- Military Pilot First Class
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of Bulgaria
- Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" (12 April 2011) – for outstanding contribution to the development of international cooperation in crewed space flight
See also
References
- ^ a b "Aleksandr Panayatov "Sasha" Aleksandrov". Spacefacts. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Aleksandrov, Aleksandr". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
- ^ Чавдар Джуров (in Russian). Космическая Энциклопедия. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ "Mir EP-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2010.