Yuri Pavlovich GIDZENKO

Soyuz-TM TV commander, ISS-1 pilot
Colonel, test-cosmonaut
Yu.A. Gagarin RGNIITsPK, Russia

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: March 26, 1962, Elanets village, Elanets district, Nikolaev region. Ukrainian. Father: Pavel Vasilyevich Gidzenko born in 1937 lives in Berezovka-2, Odessa area. Mother: Galina Mikhailovna Gidzenko born in 1940 lives in Berezovka-2, Odessa area.

EDUCATION: He graduated from the Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School after S.I. Gritsevets Twice Hero of the Soviet Union in 1983. In 1994 he graduated from the Moscow State University of geodesy and cartography.

FAMILY STATUS: married.
Wife: Olga Vladimirovna Gidzenko (Shapovalova), born in 1961.
Son: Sergei born in 1986. Son: Alexander born in 1988.

AWARDS AND RANKS: Hero of the Russian Federation, pilot-cosmonaut of the Russian Federation, decorated with the Order of Military Services.

HOBBIES: football, swimming, reading of literature, photography, walks in forest.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Since 1983 he served as a pilot and senior pilot in Air Force units of the Odessa military district.
A 3rd class military pilot. He mastered three types of aircraft. The total flying time is 850 hours. A parachute-landing training instructor. He made 179 jumps. From December 1987 to June 1989 he had been passing a course of general space training at the Yu.A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.
From September 1989 he continued training as a member of the test-cosmonauts group.
From March 1994 to October 1994 he was training for a flight as a commander of the backup crew of the Soyuz-TM transport vehicle and Mir on-orbit station under the 17th prime expedition and EURO-MIR-94 programs.
From November 1994 to August 1995 he was training for a space flight aboard the Soyuz-TM transport vehicle and Mir on-orbit complex as the prime crew commander under the 20th prime expedition and Euromir-95 programs.
From September 3 1995 to February 29 1996 he performed the 179-day space flight aboard the Soyuz TM-22 space vehicle and Mir on-orbit complex as the crew commander of the 20th prime expedition which program included participation of ESA astronaut Thomas Raiter.
He performed two egresses into open space (total time is 3 h 31 min). A 2nd class test-cosmonaut-instructor.
Since October 1996 he has been training for a space flight as a member of the first crew of the International space station as the Soyuz transport vehicle commander and ISS prime crew pilot