Dumitru Prunariu Astronaut Date of Birth: 27.09.1952 Country: Romania

1. Biography of Dumitru Prunariu
2. Early Life and Education
3. Space Mission
4. Career and Achievements
5. Accomplishments and Personal Life
6. Prunariu is married and has two sons.

Biography of Dumitru Prunariu

Dumitru Prunariu is a Romanian astronaut, known for being the first Romanian citizen to travel into space. Born on September 27, 1952, in Brasov, Romania, he has achieved numerous accolades throughout his career.

Early Life and Education

After completing his high school education at the Physics and Mathematics School in 1971, Prunariu enrolled in the Bucharest Polytechnic Institute. In 1976, he graduated from the institute with a degree in aerospace engineering. Following his graduation, he was assigned as an engineer at an aviation factory in Brasov.

In 1977, Prunariu completed his training at the Military Aviation Officer School and served in the Romanian People's Army. In 1978, he was selected along with Romanian military engineer Dumitru Dediu to undergo cosmonaut training as part of the Interkosmos program, a collaboration between socialist countries. He received comprehensive training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, preparing him for space missions aboard the Soyuz TM spacecraft and the Salyut-6 orbital station.

Space Mission

From May 14 to May 22, 1981, Prunariu, alongside Soviet cosmonaut Leonid Ivanovich Popov, embarked on a space mission as a research astronaut aboard the Soyuz-40 spacecraft. They spent seven days, twenty hours, forty-one minutes, and fifty-two seconds working on scientific experiments related to astrophysics, space radiation, materials science, space medicine, and biology. This successful mission made Prunariu the first Romanian to travel to space.

Career and Achievements

After returning to Romania, Prunariu served as a senior inspector in the Romanian People's Army Air Force and taught space flight theory at the Aerospace Department of the Bucharest Polytechnic Institute. Despite his accomplishments, he did not receive high-ranking positions in the government, as then-president Nicolae Ceausescu was jealous of his popularity and limited his public appearances.

In January 1990, Prunariu was appointed as the State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport of Romania and became the head of Romanian civil aviation. In 1991, he completed his education at the International Institute of Air Traffic Management in Montreal, Canada. Since 1992, he has been a member of the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA) and currently serves as its President and General Director. He is also the Vice President of the European Institute for Risk, Security, and Communication Management (EURISC) since 1995.

Prunariu is a Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Astronautics since 1992 and a member of the Romanian National Committee of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) since 1994. Since 1992, he has represented the Romanian government in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Additionally, he co-founded the Association of Space Explorers in 1985 and has periodically represented the association at sessions of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Accomplishments and Personal Life

Prunariu has been honored with several awards and decorations, including the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Hero of the Socialist Republic of Romania titles, both granted on May 22, 1981. He has also received the Order of Lenin and various Romanian orders and medals. The German Society for Space Research awarded him the Gold Medal of Hermann Oberth.

Apart from his space endeavors, Prunariu is also an author of several books on space flight, scientific research, and experiments. He has published articles in scientific journals and has a strong command of English, Russian, and French languages.

Prunariu is married and has two sons.