Yury Vladimirovich Usachov (russian: Юрий Владимирович Усачёв; born October 9, 1957) is a former
cosmonaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
who resides in
Star City, Moscow
Star City (russian: Звёздный городо́к, ''Zvyozdny gorodok''The name "Zvyozdny gorodok" literally means "starry townlet".) is a common name of an area in Zvyozdny gorodok, Moscow Oblast, Russia, which has since the 1960s been ...
. Usachov is a veteran of four spaceflights, including two long duration missions on board the ''
Mir
''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...
'' Space Station and another on board the
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...
. During his career, he also conducted seven spacewalks before his retirement on April 5, 2004.
Personal
Married to Vera Sergeevna Usachova (née Nazarova) from the
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...
. They have one daughter, Zhenya. His mother, Anna Grigorevna Usachova resides in
Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
. His father is deceased. He has a brother, five years older, and a twin sister, five minutes older. He enjoys
photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...
and video production.
Education
Usachov graduated from the Donetsk Public School in 1975. In 1985, he graduated from the
Moscow Aviation Institute
Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University) (MAI; russian: Московский авиационный институт, МАИ) is one of the major engineering institutes in Moscow, Russia. Since its inception MAI has been spearhe ...
with an engineering diploma.
Experience
Upon graduation from the Aviation Institute, he went to work for
Energia,
participating in groups working with
EVA training, future construction in space, public relations, and ergonomics.
Cosmonaut career
![Yuri Usachev](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Yuri_Usachev.jpg)
In 1989, he was appointed to the position of cosmonaut candidate at the Cosmonaut Training Center. From 1989 to 1992, he underwent a course of general space training. He was a member of the back-up crew for the
Mir-13, 14 and 19 missions. From January 8, 1994, to July 9, 1994, he served as Board Engineer on Space Station Mir.
Mir EO-15
Usachov made his first trip into space on January 8, 1994. The
Soyuz TM-18
Soyuz TM-18 was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome and landed 112 km north of Arkalyk. TM-18 was a two-day solo flight that docked with the ''Mir'' space station on January 10, 1994. The three cosmonauts became the 15th resident crew on boar ...
spacecraft carrying Usachov with cosmonauts
Viktor Afanasyev and
Valeri Polyakov
Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov (russian: Валерий Владимирович Поляков, born Valeri Ivanovich Korshunov, russian: Валерий Иванович Коршунов, 27 April 1942 – 7 September 2022) was a Soviet and Rus ...
lifted off from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome ( kk, Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы, translit=Baiqoñyr ğaryş ailağy, ; russian: Космодром Байконур, translit=Kosmodrom Baykonur, ) is a spaceport in an area of southern Kazakhstan leased to R ...
at 10:05:34 UTC. Usachov served as the Flight Engineer. After two days of solo flight, Soyuz TM-18 docked at the ''
Kvant-1
Kvant-1 (russian: Квант-1; English: Quantum-I/1) (37KE) was the first module to be attached in 1987 to the Mir Core Module, which formed the core of the Soviet space station ''Mir''. It remained attached to ''Mir'' until the entire space stat ...
'' module of the Mir space station on January 10 at 11:15 UTC. The three cosmonauts became the 15th resident crew of the Mir. Usachov joined as a Flight Engineer. He was on board the Mir on January 14, when the departing
Soyuz TM-17
Soyuz TM-17 was a Russian spaceflight to the space station Mir, launched on July 1, 1993. It carried Russian cosmonauts Vasily Tsibliyev and Aleksandr Serebrov, along with French astronaut Jean-Pierre Haigneré. It lasted 196 days and 17 hours, ...
spacecraft struck ''
Kristall
The Kristall (russian: Кристалл, , Crystal) (77KST, TsM-T, 11F77T) module was the fourth module and the third major addition to ''Mir''. As with previous modules, its configuration was based on the 77K (TKS) module, and was originally na ...
'' module two glancing blows during the customary inspection fly-around prior to the deorbit burn. After the incident, the EO-15 crew on Mir checked over ''Kristall'' and found no damage. During Usachov's stay three Progress spacecraft arrived at Mir. On 30 January, on March 24 and on May 24:
Progress M-21,
Progress M-22 and
Progress M-23
Progress M-23 () was a Russian unmanned Progress cargo spacecraft, which was launched in May 1994 to resupply the Mir space station.
Launch
Progress M-23 launched on 22 May 1994 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It used a Soyuz-U2 ro ...
spacecraft arrived at Mir. The Progress spacecraft delivered food, water, fuel, spare parts and equipment for the maintenance of Mir's systems and additional equipment for medical experiments.
Usachov and Afanasyev uneventfully returned to Earth on board the Soyuz TM-18 descent module which landed 110 km north of
Arkalyk
Arkalyk ( kz, Arqalyq; cyrl, Арқалық, russian: Аркалык) is a city in Kostanay Region, northern Kazakhstan. Earlier, it was the centre of Torgay Region, which was abolished in 1997. Today, it is the administrative centre of Torgay D ...
in Kazakhstan at 10:32:35 GMT on July 9, 1994. Usachov flew on the Mir space station for 182 days.
Mir EO-21
From February 21 to September 2, 1996, Usachov served as a Board Engineer of the Mir EO-21 expedition. The
Soyuz TM-23
Soyuz TM-23 was a Soyuz spaceflight which launched on February 21, 1996, to ''Mir''.The mission report is available here: http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-TM-23.htm The spacecraft launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, and after two da ...
spacecraft carrying Usachov with cosmonaut
Yuri Onufriyenko
Col. Yuri Ivanovich Onufrienko (russian: Юрий Иванович Онуфриенко, ua, Юрій Іванович Онуфрієнко; born 6 February 1961) is a retired Russian cosmonaut. He is a veteran of two extended spaceflights, aboa ...
lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on February 21, 1996, at 12:34:05 UTC. After two days of autonomous flight, the Soyuz spacecraft docked with the Mir space station's forward-facing port on February 23 at 14:20 UTC. One month later, he and Onufriyenko were joined by
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
astronaut
Shannon Lucid
Shannon Wells Lucid (born January 14, 1943) is an American biochemist and retired NASA astronaut. At one time, she held the record for the longest duration stay in space by an American and by a woman. She has flown in space five times including ...
. During Mir-21 Usachev performed numerous research experiments. The new module ''
Priroda
The Priroda (russian: Природа; en, Nature) (TsM-I, 77KSI, 11F77I) module was the seventh and final module of the Mir Space Station. Its primary purpose was to conduct Earth resource experiments through remote sensing and to develop and ...
'', the seventh and final module of the Mir Space Station arrived on April 26, 1996. Its primary purpose was to conduct Earth resource experiments through remote sensing and to develop and verify remote sensing methods. During Mir EO-21 supplies arrived with the
Progress M-31
Progress M-31 () was a Russian unmanned Progress cargo spacecraft, which was launched in May 1996 to resupply the Mir space station.
Launch
Progress M-31 launched on 5 May 1996 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It used a Soyuz-U
...
spacecraft. Usachov and Onufriyenko were joined by French astronaut
Claudie André-Deshays
Claudie is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Claudie Blakley (born 1974), English actress
*Claudie Haigneré (born 1957), French doctor, politician, and former astronaut
*Claudie Minor, former tackle in the National Football Lea ...
after the departure of Shannon Lucid.
On September 2, 1996, Usachov, Yuri Onufriyenko and Claudie André-Deshays returned to Earth on board the Soyuz TM-23 capsule. The spacecraft landed at 07:41:40 UTC 108 km south west of
Akmola
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, thou ...
(Tselinograd). On board Soyuz TM-23 and Mir, Usachov spent 193 days in space.
STS 101
Usachov next flew on
STS-101
STS-101 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle '' Atlantis''. The mission was a 10-day mission conducted between 19 May 2000 and 29 May 2000. The mission was designated 2A.2a and was a resuppl ...
, the third Shuttle mission devoted to
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...
(ISS) construction. On 9 May 2000 at 6:11 a.m. EDT lifted off from
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968 ...
. Usachov served as a Mission specialist and was seated down on ''Atlantis'' middeck for both entry and landing. The primary mission objectives for STS-101 was to deliver supplies to the International Space Station, with the supplies hauled up using a
Spacehab
Astrotech Corporation, formerly Spacehab Inc., is a technology incubator headquartered in Austin, Texas. Astrotech uses technology sourced internally and from research institutions, government laboratories, and universities to fund, manage and s ...
double module and Spacehab Integrated Cargo Carrier pallet, perform a spacewalk and then reboost the station from 230 to 250 statute miles (370 to 402 km). Usachov and NASA astronaut
Susan Helms were the first crew members to enter the station. On Flight Days 5 and 6 of the mission, Usachov and Helms replaced two of six batteries in the
''Zarya'' module along with some associated battery-charging electronics. Usachov and Helms also installed a new Radio Telemetry System in the ''Zarya'' module, a memory unit that can store data on board when the station is not in communications with the ground. The new memory unit replaced one that was nearing the end of its planned operational lifetime. On Flight Day 8, he and Helms began backing out of the ISS by closing five hatches behind them. On the day, Usachov also took some time to talk with Russian media gathered at the Russian Mission Control Center. On the next day Usachov with other shuttle crewmembers continued stowing away equipment used over their time in orbit.
On May 29, ''Atlantis'' flew to a nighttime touchdown at KSC Runway 15 at 2:20 a.m. EDT after completing a 4,076,000 mile mission. ''Atlantis'' circled the globe 155 times for a mission duration of 9 days, 21 hours, 10 minutes.
Expedition 2
![Yury Usachev Expedition2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Yury_Usachev_Expedition2.jpg)
Usachov made his fourth trip into space on board on
STS-102
STS-102 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle '' Discovery'' and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-102 flew in March 2001; its primary objectives were resupplying the ISS and ...
. Launched from KSC on March 8, 2001, at 06:42 EST ''Discovery'' successfully docked with the ISS a day later on March 9 at 6:38 UTC. The Expedition 2 crew of Usachov and NASA astronauts Susan Helms and
James Voss lived and worked aboard ISS for the next 167 days. Usachov was the Commander of
Expedition 2
Expedition 2 (also called ISS EO-2) was the second long-duration spaceflight aboard the International Space Station, immediately following Expedition 1. Its three-person crew stayed aboard the station from March to August 2001. In addition to st ...
.
During Expedition 2, research facilities launched to the ISS included a Human Research Facility, two EXPRESS (Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the Space Station) Racks, one of which contains the Active Rack Isolation System and the Payload Equipment Restraint System. They also prepared the Destiny laboratory to enable upcoming experiments to be conducted. A major focus was on gaining a better understanding of how to protect crew members from radiation while working and living in space. There were four Space Shuttle and one Soyuz missions to the ISS during Expedition 2:
STS-102
STS-102 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle '' Discovery'' and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS-102 flew in March 2001; its primary objectives were resupplying the ISS and ...
,
STS-100
STS-100 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle '' Endeavour''. STS-100 launch on 19 April 2001, and installed the ISS Canadarm2 robotic arm.
Crew
Mission highlights
The highest priori ...
,
STS-104
STS-104 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''. Its primary objectives were to install the ''Quest'' Joint Airlock and help perform maintenance on the International Space Statio ...
,
STS-105
STS-105 was a mission of the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' to the International Space Station, launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 10 August 2001. This mission was ''Discoverys final mission until STS-114, because ''Discovery'' was gro ...
and
Soyuz TM-32
Soyuz TM-32 was a crewed Soyuz spaceflight which was launched on April 28, 2001, and docked with the International Space Station two days later. It launched the crew of the visiting mission ISS EP-1, which included the first paying space touri ...
.
Usachov, Helms and Voss returned to Earth with the crew of
STS-105
STS-105 was a mission of the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' to the International Space Station, launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 10 August 2001. This mission was ''Discoverys final mission until STS-114, because ''Discovery'' was gro ...
on August 22, 2001, on the Shuttle flight delivering the third Expedition crew.
Spacewalks
Usachov has performed seven career spacewalks. He performed six spacewalks during his stay on board the Mir Space Station and performed another internal spacewalk during his visit to the ISS as the commander of the Expedition 2.
![Usachov with Orlan Spacesuit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Usachov_with_Orlan_Spacesuit.jpg)
On 15 March 1996, Usachov performed his first career spacewalk. He and cosmonaut Onufriyenko started the spacewalk at 01:04 UTC. They installed the second Strela boom and prepared for Mir Cooperative Solar Array (MCSA) installation. The spacewalk lasted 5 hours and 51 minutes.
On 20 May 1996, Usachov performed his second career spacewalk. The spacewalk started at 22:50 UTC and ended at 04:10 UTC clocking 5 hours and 20 minutes. During the spacewalk, the two cosmonauts removed the Mir cooperative solar array (MCSA) from its stowed position on the exterior of the
docking module A docking compartment is a module of a space station to which visiting spacecraft can dock. Docking Compartment may refer to:
* Docking Compartment 1 (Pirs)
* Docking Compartment 2 (Poisk)
See also
* Mini-Research Modules
* Mir Docking Module ...
at the base of the ''Kristall'' module. They used the Strela boom to reach and move the array to the ''Kvant-1'' module. The two spacewalkers also inflated an aluminum and nylon pup-up model of a Pepsi Cola can, which they then filmed against the backdrop of Earth.
The
Pepsi Cola
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
company paid for the procedure and planned to use the film in a television commercial. However, the commercial never aired—reportedly because Pepsi later changed the design of the can.
Usachov performed his third career spacewalk on 24 May 1996. He and cosmonaut Onufriyenko started the spacewalk at 22:50 UTC. They installed the MCSA on the ''Kvant-1'' module. The spacewalk lasted 5 hours and 34 minutes.
On 30 May 1996, Usachov stepped outside the Mir Space Station to conduct his fourth career spacewalk. He and cosmonaut Onufriyenko started the spacewalk at 18:20 UTC. They installed the modular optoelectrical multispectral scanner (MOMS) outside ''Priroda'' and handrails on the ''
Kvant-2
Kvant-2 (russian: Квант-2; English: Quantum-II/2) (77KSD, TsM-D, 11F77D) was the third module and second major addition to the Mir space station. Its primary purpose was to deliver new science experiments, better life support systems, and an ...
'' module to facilitate moving around outside the station during future extravehicular activities. MOMS was used to study the Earth's atmosphere and environment. The spacewalk lasted 4 hours and 20 minutes.
On 6 June 1996, Usachov performed his fifth career spacewalk. He and Onufriyenko installed micro-meteoroid detectors and replaced cassettes in the Swiss/Russian Komza experiment and installed the Particle Impact Experiment, the Mir Sample Return Experiment, and the SKK-11 cassette, which exposed construction materials to space conditions.
The spacewalk lasted 3 hours and 34 minutes.
Usachov performed his sixth career spacewalk on 13 June 1996. The spacewalk started at 12:45 UTC and ended at 18:27 UTC clocking 5 hours and 42 minutes. During the spacewalk, Usachov and Onufriyenko installed the Rapana truss structure (an experiment mounting point) to the ''Kvant-1'' module. The two cosmonauts also manually deployed the saddle-shaped traverse synthetic aperture radar antenna on ''Priroda''. The large antenna had failed to open fully after receiving commands from inside Mir.
On June 8, 2001, Usachov performed his seventh career spacewalk. He and NASA astronaut James Voss donned spacesuits entered the small, spherical transfer compartment at the forward end of the
''Zvezda'' Service Module during an "internal" spacewalk. The spacewalk at the ISS was the first without the presence of a shuttle.
Just after the ISS flew over the dark side of the Earth, they removed a hatch at the Earth-facing part of the compartment to open it to the vacuum of space and officially begin the spacewalk at 9:21 a.m CDT. During the 19-minute spacewalk which ended at 9:40 a.m. CDT, Usachov and Voss moved a docking cone from storage and using a rotating handle, installed it in the lower port hatch. The installation of the docking cone was necessary to prepare for the arrival of the Russian
docking compartment.
Honours and awards
*
Hero of the Russian Federation (18 August 1994) - for courage and heroism displayed during prolonged space flight on the orbital scientific research complex ''Mir''
*
Order of Merit for the Fatherland
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
;
**2nd class (10 April 2002) - for courage and professionalism shown during the implementation of space flight on the International Space Station
**3rd class (16 October 1996) - for the successful implementation of the international space flight on the orbital scientific research complex ''Mir'' and displaying courage and heroism
*
Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"
The Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" (russian: Медаль "За заслуги в освоении космоса") is a state decoration of the Russian Federation aimed at recognising achievements in the space program. It was established ...
(12 April 2011) - for the great achievements in the field of research, development and use of outer space, many years of diligent work, public activities
* Chevalier of the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
(France, 1997)
*
Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation
The Honorary Title Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation (russian: Летчик-космонавт Российской Федерации) is a state award of the Russian Federation presented to all cosmonauts who fly for the Russian Feder ...
(18 August 1994)
*
NASA Space Flight Medal
The NASA Space Flight Medal is a decoration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. According to its statutes, it is awarded "for significant achievement or service during individual participation as a civilian or military astrona ...
*
NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal
The NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal is an award similar to the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, but awarded to non-government personnel. This is the highest honor NASA awards to anyone who was not a government employee when the service ...
References
External links
ENERGIA biography of Youri Vladimirovich Usachev
{{DEFAULTSORT:Usachov, Yury
1957 births
Moscow Aviation Institute alumni
Living people
Commanders of the International Space Station
Russian cosmonauts
Heroes of the Russian Federation
Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class
Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur
Recipients of the Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"
Recipients of the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal
Crew members of the International Space Station
Space Shuttle program astronauts
Spacewalkers
Mir crew members