Yuriy Usachev

Yuri Vladimirovich Usachyov is a cosmonaut of the Russian Federation; he lives in the city of Korolyov, near Moscow.

He was born on October 9, 1957. He graduated from Secondary School No. 5 in Donetsk in 1975. In 1985, he received a degree in mechanical engineering from the Moscow Aviation Institute, Department 608, “Design of Aero-Hydrocosmic Systems.”

In 1975–1976, he worked at enterprises in Donetsk. In 1976–1978, he completed compulsory military service in the Soviet Army, serving as a sergeant and squad leader in the chemical troops in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany.

After graduating from the Aviation Institute, Usachyov was assigned as an engineer to NPO Energia, where he began working on the Energia launch vehicle, taking part in technical solutions for extravehicular activity and the future of space construction.

In 1988, he underwent a medical examination and began special training, and in 1989 he was enrolled as a candidate in NPO Energia’s cosmonaut corps. In 1991, he was assigned to the cosmonaut corps. He completed the general spaceflight training course for work on the Mir orbital station. He was a member of the backup crews for the Mir-13, Mir-14, and Mir-19 expeditions.

He made his first spaceflight from January 8 to July 9, 1994, serving as flight engineer for the 15th main expedition to the Mir space station (crew commander V. M. Afanasyev, researcher V. V. Polyakov). The crew launched and landed aboard the Soyuz TM-18 spacecraft. The flight lasted 182 days 00 hours 27 minutes.

He made his second spaceflight from February 21 to September 2, 1996, as flight engineer of the 21st main expedition to the Mir space station. He launched and landed aboard Soyuz TM-23: lift-off with Yuri Onufrienko and return with Yuri Onufrienko and Claudie Haigneré. The flight lasted 193 days 19 hours 08 minutes; he completed six spacewalks, one of the highest