Background
Valentin Lebedev was born on the 14th of April, 1942 in Moscow, RSFSR (now Russian Federation).
Valentin Lebedev was born on the 14th of April, 1942 in Moscow, RSFSR (now Russian Federation).
In 1959 Lebedev graduated from school №4 in Naro-Fominsk, Moscow Oblast.
In 1966 he graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute named after S. Ordzhonikidze, Faculty of Aircraft, he received speciality of mechanical engineer. Then he studied at school for test pilots at Ministry of Aeronautics of the USSR, but because of the enrolling to the Cosmonaut Corps he was recalled for space flight training. During his training he mastered MiG aircrafts.
In April 23, 1975 in Ministry of Aeronautics he defended his Candidates Thesis «Methods of construction of testing ground for craft systems rehearsing and crew training».
In April 1985 in Ministry of Aeronautics he defended his Doctoral Thesis «Methods of improving the efficiency of scientific research aboard orbital stations».
In May 26, 2000 he was the first cosmonaut elected as corresponding member of RAS.
In June 21, 2006 he was approved in rank of professor of Space Systems and Rocket Science Department of Ministry of Aeronautics by the decision of Higher Attestation Commission.
Since September 6, 1966 Lebedev worked at the Central Design Bureau for Experimental Engineering as an engineer.
Since 1967 he was a technical representative of the principal enterprise of rocket and space industry and participated in expedition on 8th squadron ships for searching and technical support of the spacecraft «Zond» («L-1») in case of water landing in the Indian Ocean.
From September 30 to October 4, 1968 he led a group of specialists from India, provided technical support and evacuation after the spacecraft «Zond-5» water landing in the Ocean, which for the first time flew around the Moon and delivered survey material to the Earth.
Working in the test complex he dealt with fine-tuning of life-saving tools of «Soyuz» landers and their crew after ground and water landing. He led a tech-ops group for search and evacuation «Soyuz» landers and L-1, also he led a management group in the period of flight development tests of the spacecrafts «Soyuz», «Soyuz-T», «Progress», orbital station «Salyut-4, -5, -6» at Baykonur during their ascent. He worked as Cosmonaut Corps trainer, trained cosmonauts, developed scientific experiment and research methodology, onboard instruction on the management of a spacecraft and an orbital station. He developed the methodology of manual close approach of the spacecraft «Soyuz» (article 11F615A8) with long-term orbital station (article 17K).
On March 22, 1972 at the meeting of State Interdepartmental Commission he was recommended for enrollment to Cosmonaut Corps. He was enrolled for the post of test cosmonaut at the Central Design Bureau for Experimental Engineering by the order №88 of the Ministry of General Machine-building on the same day.
Valentin Lebedev wrote the first letter of joining the Cosmonaut Corps in 1963, when he was a student of Moscow Aviation Institute. He was recommended by Komsomol and Party’s organizations.
He underwent a medical examination in the Institute of Biomedical Problems, on December 26, 1969 he obtained the opinion of the Main Medical Commission that he is fit for spacial training. On March 22, 1972 at the meeting of the State Interdepartmental Commission he was recommended for enrollment to the Cosmonaut Corps. On the same day by the order №88 of the Ministry of General Machine-Building he was enrolled for the post of test cosmonaut at the Central Design Bureau for Experimental Engineering.
From July 1972 to September 1973 he trained for flight to the spacecraft «Soyuz» under the program «Orion» as a flight engineer.
In September - November 1973 - he trained together with Petr Klimuk under the same program as a flight engineer of backup crew instead of Yuri Ponomarev.
On December 7, 1973 as a result of training the Klimuk-Lebedev crew was appointed as principal one by State Commission’s decision.
From December 1977 to February 1979 he trained for a flight to the DOS-5 «Salyut-6» under the program of second expedition (EO-2) as a flight engineer of a reserve crew together with Leonid Popov.
From July 1978 to February 1979 he trained for a flight on long-term orbital station «Salyut-6» under the program of third expedition (EO-3) as a reserve crew flight engineer with Leonid Popov. On February 25, 1979 during the start of the spacecraft «Soyuz-32» he was a flight engineer of backup crew.
From March 1979 to March 1980 he trained for a flight on long-term orbital station «Salyut-6»
under the program of firth expedition (EO-4) as a flight engineer of the first crew with Leonid Popov. But in March 1980 during trampoline training he got a knee injury and he replaced by was Valery Ryumin.
From September 1981 to April 1982 he was trained under the program of first initial expedition on the long-term orbital station «Salyut-7» as a first crew flight engineer together with Anatoly Berezovoy.
From 1983 to 1986 he was trained in a team of cosmonaut as a flight engineer under the program «Buran».
He was out of Cosmonaut Corps on February 25, 1993.