Soyuz 27 launched 1978

Soyuz 27 crew (L-R): Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Oleg Makarov

Soyuz 27 mission stamp

Soyuz 27, launched January 10, 1978, was the third manned flight to Salyut 6.  It was the first time three spacecraft were docked together and the first visitation mission to the space station. Its launch crew consisted of Commander Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Oleg Makarov.  They were the crew of the expedition EP-1.  They stayed for 6 days before returning to Earth in Soyuz 26.

Soyuz 27 remained docked with Salyut 6 until March when it returned with the crew of EO-1, Commander Yuri Romanenko and Georgi Grechko.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Roman Romanenko!

Roman Romanenko, born August 9, 1971 in the former Soviet Union, is a cosmonaut and a veteran of two expeditions on the International Space Station.  His father is cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko, a Soyuz and Mir cosmonaut.

Romanenko's first trip into space was aboard Soyuz TMA-15 to the ISS in May 2009, where he became part of Expeditions 20 and 21.  He was the third second-generation astronaut after Sergey Volkov and Richard Garriott. 

His second trip into space was aboard Soyuz TMA-07M in December 2012.  He was a member of Expeditions 34 and 35.  He conducted his first space walk during this mission.

He has since retired from Roscosmos.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko!

Yuri (Yury? Whatever.) Romanenko, born August 1, 1944 in the former Soviet Union, is a cosmonaut and a veteran of three missions to space. 

His first trip was aboard Soyuz 26 to Salyut 6 in December 1977.  During this mission, he performed an EVA, lasting one and a half hours.

His second trip was with Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez on Soyuz 38 in December 1980, to Salyut 6, but remained on board for only 7 days.

His third and final mission was on Soyuz TM-2 in February 1987 to the Mir space station.  He spent 326 days aboard Mir, which was a record back then.  He also conducted 3 EVA for a total of 8 hours, 48 minutes.   He returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-3 in December 1987.

He retired from flights in 1988 to become the director of the Buran program, which was cancelled in 1993.

His son Roman, born August 9, 1971, is also a cosmonaut and commanded Soyuz TMA-15.

Soyuz TM-3 launched 1987

Soyuz TM-3 crew (L-R): Muhammed Faris, Aleksandr Aleksandrov, Alexander Viktorentko  

Soyuz TM-3, launched July 22, 1987, was the third manned spacecraft to visit the space station Mir.  Its crew consisted of Commander Alexander Viktorenko, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Aleksandrov, and research cosmonaut Muhammed Faris, first Syrian astronaut.

Viktorenko and Faris stayed on board approximately a week (Mir EP-1) and returned on Soyuz TM-2, but Aleksandrov stayed aboard as part of Mir EO-2.

Soyuz TM-3 returned to Earth December 29 with Yuri Romanenko, Aleksandrov and Anatoli Levchenko. 

Soyuz TM-2 launched 1987

Soyuz TM-2, launched February 5, 1987, was the first flight of  the Soyuz TM spacecraft and the second mission to the space station Mir. Its crew consisted of Yuri Romanenko and Aleksandr Laveykin.

It returned to Earth in July 1987 with Aleksandr Viktorenko, Aleksandr Laveykin, and Muhammed Faris (first Syrian and second Arab astronaut).

Romanenko stayed on Mir and returned to Earth in Soyuz TM-3 in December.

Happy birthday, Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez!

Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez, born January 29, 1942 in Guantanamo, Cuba, is the first Cuban citizen in space and the first person from a Western Hemisphere country besides the U.S. to travel into space.

He joined the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces wanting to become a pilot.  He received training in aerial comb at in the Soviet Union.  He was selected as a cosmonaut March 1, 1978 with fellow Cuban Jose Lopez Falcon.

Tamayo launched into space aboard Soyuz 38 with Yuri Romanenko, September 18, 1980.  His journey into space lasted almost 8 days.

Soyuz 26 launched 1977

Soyuz 26, launched December 10, 1977 to Salyut 6, was the first long-term crew on the space station.  Her crew was Commander Yuri Romanenko and Flight Engineer Georgi Grechko.  They remained on the space station for about 96 days.  Soyuz 26 returned to Earth January 16, 1978 with Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Oleg Makarov. 

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month - Arnaldo Tamayo-Mendez, first Cuban in space

On the 37th anniversary of his launch aboard Soyuz 38, I celebrate Arnaldo Tamayo-Mendez, first Cuban in space.  So, he was a cosmonaut, not an astronaut but things hadn't been too cozy between Cuba and the U.S.

He was selected to join the Intercosmos program in 1978 and trained for two and a half years with fellow Cuban Jose Lopez Falcon.

On September 18, 1980, Tamayo-Mendez and cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko launched aboard Soyuz 38 and docked with Salyut 6, where they spent a little over a week, conducting scientific experiments.  They returned to Earth September 26.

He is the first person to receive the Hero of the Republic of Cuba.  Tamayo-Mendez also received the Order of Lenin and named Hero of the Soviet Union

Arnaldo Tamayo-Mendéz, first Cuban in space

Arnaldo Tamayo-Mendez became the first Cuban into space September 18, 1980.  He blasted off in Soyuz 38 with fellow cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko and cocked with Salyut 6.  After almost 8 days in space, they returned to Earth, making a night landing.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a video of Mr. Tamayo-Mendez in English.