Background
Gennady Strekalov was born on October 26, 1940 in Mytishchi near Moscow.
Gennady Strekalov was born on October 26, 1940 in Mytishchi near Moscow.
In 1957, G. Strekalov graduated from the secondary school in Kaliningrad, Moscow Oblast;
In 1965, G. Strekalov graduated from the Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School (MHTS), machine-building faculty, majoring in ‘Machine Engineering’;
In 1968 – graduated from the University of Marxism and Leninism run by the Kaliningrad CPSU gorkom;
In 1985, G. Strekalov got his PhD in Technical Sciences at the Central Research Institute for Engineering Technology, thesis ‘New Materials Under the Outer Space Environment’.
From 1957 to 1960 – worked as the 4th level coppersmith at the Experimental Engineering Bureau (post office box No. 924, production facilities of the Experimental Design Bureau-1 (OKB-1); worked on the first artificial Earth satellite;
Since October 3, 1964, G. Strekalov worked at the OKB-1 as a trainee technician of the 23rd department. Since August 2, 1965 – worked as a design engineer of the same department. G. Strekalov worked on the design drawings of the RT-1 missile (index 8K95);
Since September 1, 1966, G. Strekalov worked as an engineer of the 511th department, since April 1, 1968 – as an engineer of the 142nd department of the Central Design Bureau of Experimental Machine building (TsKBEM);
Since October, 1970 – worked as the senior engineer of the 731st department of TsKBEM (the Flight and Design Testing Department for Space Technologies). During the period of working for the Design Bureau (TsKBEM) G. Strekalov participated in issuing of technical documents for the N-1(11A52) Launch Vehicle. Moreover, G. Strekalov worked on the lunar spacecraft (LK) 11F94 and on the lunar orbital spacecraft (LOK) 11F93. G. Strekalov took part in testing of these spacecraft and in designing of the RT-2 (8K98) Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, the Soyuz-VI (11F732) military research spacecraft and the Soyuz 7K-OK (11F615) orbital spacecraft.
On March 21, 1973, G. Strekalov was appointed test-cosmonaut of the TsKBEM 731st department (since October 11, 1973 – of the 071st department), the 4th cosmonaut training group. On March 1, 1975, G. Strekalov was moved to the 111th department. On February 1, 1977 – to the 110th department and on February 1, 1982 – to the 291st department of Energia NPO;
On March 25, 1985, G. Strekalov became Head of the 291st Department.
In 1973, as a member of the main operation group, G. Strekalov participated in the Flight and Design Testing mission of the 7K-C (11F732) spacecraft and the 27K (Salyut-Soyuz) complex aboard the Akademik Korolev ship belonging to the USSR Academy of Sciences and at the Yevpatoria MCC. G. Strekalov fulfilled the flight program aboard the L-29 jet and made 7 parachute jumps. G. Strekalov worked on the 7K-C spacecraft model.
From January 1974 to January 1976, G. Strekalov was training for the test mission to the 7K-C (11F732) spacecraft as the flight engineer of the crew together with Y. Malyshev.
From January to September 1976, G. Strekalov was training as the flight engineer of the back-up crew under the testing of the MKF-6 multizonal camera, produced in the GDR, aboard the Soyuz-22 spacecraft together with Y. Malyshev. On September 15, 1976, G. Strekalov backed up the flight engineer of the launched Soyuz-22 spacecraft.
From October 1978 to December 1979 – underwent the flight training for the first test flight aboard the Soyuz T spacecraft as a flight engineer of the 3rd (reserve) crew together with V. Lazarev.
In October 1979, G. Strekalov was appointed to the flight engineer position of the first crew under the 2nd experimental space mission aboard the Soyuz T-3 (11F732 No.8L) spacecraft. The mission was to be launched in the 4th quarter of the year 1980. G. Strekalov started training for the space mission together with his crew mate V. Lazarev. In December 1979, cosmonaut researcher at the IBMP V. Polyakov joined the crew in order to assist in conducting medical research and experiments alongside with the spacecraft testing. The crew comprised of the three cosmonauts had been training for the mission till the end of May of the year 1980. However, as a result of a breakdown in the Salyut-6 thermal control system, the Soyuz T-3 space mission had to be postponed. The group of technicians was to be sent to repair the damage.
In June 1980, V. Lazarev, G. Strekalov and V. Polyakov started training for the new mission as members of the back-up crew.
In October 1980, G. Strekalov took up the position in the main crew and replaced there K. Feoktistov who had been suspended from the training for health reasons. G. Strekalov kept on training as the cosmonaut researcher together with L. Kizim and O. Makarov.
The 1st flight. From November 27 to December, 1980, G. Strekalov worked as the cosmonaut researcher aboard the Soyuz T-3 spacecraft and the Salyut-6 DOS together with his two crew mates L. Kizim and O. Makarov. The crew fixed up the Salyut-6 thermal control system.
The flight duration: 12 days, 19 hr., 7 min., 42 sec. Crew code name: Mayak-3.
The 2nd flight. From April 20, 1983 to April 22, 1983, G. Strekalov flew aboard the Soyuz T-8 spacecraft as the flight engineer together with V. Titov and A. Serebrov. Under the 2nd space mission (EO-2) the crew was planned to carry out some work on board of the Salyut-7 DOS. However, the spacecraft failed to dock with Salyut-7 as the Igla radio system for rendez-vous and docking was damaged.
The flight duration: 2 days, 00 hr., 17 min., 48 sec. Crew code name: Okean-3.
Failed space flight
On September 26, 1983, the Soyuz T-10-1 spacecraft with V. Titov and G.Strekalov on board was not launched owing to the launch vehicle failure. As a result of the fire started in the launch vehicle a few seconds before launching Soyuz T-10-1 the launch escape system (SAS) went off.
The flight duration: 5 minutes and 13 seconds from the moment of the SAS going off. Crew code name: Okean-3.
The 3rd flight. From April 3 to April 11, 1984, G. Strekalov flew as the flight engineer aboard the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft to the Salyut-7 DOS under the Soviet-Indian space program. Besides G. Strekalov, the crew comprised Y. Malyshev and R. Sharma (India). The crew returned to Earth aboard Soyuz T-10.
The flight duration: 7 days, 21 hr., 40 min., 06 sec. Crew code name: Yupiter-2.
The 4th flight. From August 1, 1990 to December 10, 1990, G. Strekalov flew as the flight engineer on the Soyuz TM-10 spacecraft together with G. Manakov to the Mir space station under the 7th space mission (EO-7). The cosmonaut landed together with G. Manakov and T. Akiyama (Japan) on board. On October 2, 1990, G. Strekalov carried out a spacewalk totalling 2 hours and 45 minutes.
The flight duration:130 days, 20 hr., 35 min., 51 sec.Crew code name: Vulkan-2.
The 5th flight. From March 17, 1995 to July 7, 1995, G. Strekalov flew as the flight engineer aboard the Soyuz TM-21 spacecraft to Mir under the 18th main space mission (EO-18). The crew comprised two more cosmonauts, V. Dezhurov and N. Thagard. The crew landed on Earth on the Atlantis STS-71 space shuttle. In the course of the mission G. Strekalov carried out 3 spacewalks:
On May 12, 1995 – totalling 6 hours and 14 minutes;
On May 17, 1995 – totalling 6 hours and 42 minutes;
On May 22, 1995 – totalling 5 hours and 15 minutes.
Moreover, G. Strekalov conducted some maintenance work in the unsealed transfer compartment of the Mir space station for two times:
On May 28, 1995 – totalling 21 minutes;
On June1, 1995 – totalling 23 minutes.
The flight duration:115 days, 08 hr., 43 min.,54 sec.Crew code name: Uragan-2.
On January 17, 1995, G. Strekalov retired and left the cosmonaut team.