Yuriy Artuhin Astronaut Date of Birth: 22.06.1930 Country: Russia

Biography of Yuri Artyukhin

Yuri Petrovich Artyukhin, a retired colonel, was a Soviet cosmonaut and military aviator. He was born on June 22, 1930, in the village of Pershutino, Klin District, Moscow Oblast, to a family of a military pilot. His childhood was spent in the Far East as his father was serving in the military. Before the war, the family moved to Krechevitsy, Novgorod Oblast, where his father tragically died in the early months of the war. This experience had a significant impact on Yuri's school years, as he had to start working early to support his mother and younger brother.

In 1948, Artyukhin graduated from Secondary School No. 4 in Klin and decided to become a military pilot. However, he was deemed unfit for aviation service by the medical commission. He then enrolled in the Serpukhov Military Aviation Technical School, which trained technicians for aircraft maintenance. He completed his studies in December 1950, specializing in aircraft electrical equipment, and was sent to serve in the Far East, in the Transbaikal Military District.

From February 1951 to August 1952, Lieutenant Artyukhin served as a technician in the aviation squadron of the 231st Assault Aviation Regiment, 74th Aviation Division, 45th Air Army, in the Transbaikal Military District. From August 1952 to March 1958, he studied at the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy, specializing as an electrical engineer. After graduating, due to his exceptional abilities, he was assigned to one of the scientific laboratories of the academy, working on the automation of aircraft engines, electrical and instrument equipment, and computer technology, specifically the Minsk-2 computer.

In early 1962, the Air Force announced a new selection of cosmonauts. Artyukhin was among the 14 candidates from the Zhukovsky Academy who underwent medical examinations and interviews at the Central Military Scientific Research Aviation Hospital. By the end of 1962, the medical selection of cosmonaut candidates was completed. In early January 1963, the Mandate Commission, chaired by General N.P. Kamanin, selected 15 individuals, including Yuri Artyukhin, for admission to the cosmonaut corps (VVS Group No. 2). From January 1963 to January 1965, Artyukhin completed the full course of general space training and training for flights on spacecraft of the "Vostok" and "Voskhod" types. On January 13, 1965, he successfully passed state examinations in General Space Training and received the qualification of "Cosmonaut of the Air Force".

In May 1965, Artyukhin underwent training as part of a group of cosmonauts for a flight on the "Voskhod-3" spacecraft. From 1965 to 1967, he prepared in a cosmonaut group for the orbital spacecraft "Soyuz", and from 1967 to 1969, he prepared for a lunar flyby on the 7K-OK spacecraft. At the end of 1971, Artyukhin underwent training for flights aboard the military piloted orbital station (OPS) of the "Almaz" type. From September 1972 to March 1973, he prepared for the first OPS flight as the flight engineer of the first crew, together with Pavel Romanovich Popovich.

On April 3, 1973, OPS-101 was launched into orbit and named "Salyut-2". Yuri Artyukhin and Pavel Popovich were already at Baikonur when, on the 13th day of the mission, the station unexpectedly depressurized, and the flight was canceled. On June 24, 1974, the second OPS-101-2 was launched into orbit and named "Salyut-3". From July 3 to July 19, 1974, Yuri Artyukhin, together with Pavel Popovich, made a space flight as the flight engineer of the "Soyuz-14" spacecraft and the "Salyut-3" orbital station. During the flight, he performed reconnaissance work on board the station. The duration of the space mission was 15 days, 17 hours, 30 minutes, and 28 seconds. Shortly after the flight, Artyukhin left the cosmonaut corps but continued working at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center as a senior instructor and head of the 2nd department of the 1st department of the CPC, which prepared cosmonauts for the "Almaz" program.

From 1977 to 1979, Artyukhin prepared for a flight in a crew with V.S. Kozelsky as part of the test flight program on the supply transport spacecraft (TKS) for the "Almaz" OPS. However, by 1982, work on the "Almaz" station and the TKS spacecraft was discontinued, and the flight did not take place. In June 1980, Yuri Petrovich Artyukhin defended his candidate of technical sciences dissertation at the Mozhaisky Military Engineering Institute on the topic of military intelligence.

On January 26, 1982, Artyukhin was discharged from the CPC cosmonaut corps due to age along with a group of other elderly cosmonauts. After leaving the corps, he continued to serve at the CPC and, from January 1982 to December 1987, he served as the deputy head of the 1st department of the CPC, responsible for scientific research and testing. On March 3, 1988, Yuri Petrovich retired from the Soviet Armed Forces due to age.

From May 1988, Artyukhin worked as the head of a department at NPO "Molniya", where he was involved in the mathematical support of the "Buran" spacecraft simulators. In May 1992, he retired and did not pursue any further work. Yuri Petrovich Artyukhin passed away on August 4, 1998, at the age of 69 after a serious illness. He was buried at the cemetery in the village of Leonikha near the Star City.

Yuri Petrovich Artyukhin, a retired colonel, was awarded the "Gold Star" Medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union (Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, July 20, 1974), the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Star, the Polish "Cross of Grunwald", and various medals. He was also honored with the Honorary Diploma of the FAI named after V.M. Komarov (FAI) and was an honorary citizen of Kaluga, Klin (Russia), Leninsk (Kazakhstan), Jezkazgan (Kazakhstan), Daugavpils (Latvia), and Varna (Bulgaria).