1952day.year
Dumitru Prunariu
Romanian pilot, engineer and cosmonaut
Romanian pilot
engineer and cosmonaut
Romanian engineer and cosmonaut, first Romanian to fly in space as part of the Interkosmos program.
Born in 1952 in Brașov, Dumitru Prunariu graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering before joining Romania’s space program.
In 1981, he flew aboard Soyuz 40 under the Soviet Interkosmos initiative, becoming the first Romanian in space.
During his week-long mission aboard the Salyut 6 space station, he conducted scientific experiments in microgravity.
Prunariu was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and received numerous Romanian honors.
After returning, he served in government roles and later became President of the Romanian Space Agency.
He continues to advocate for international cooperation in space research and education.
Dumitru Prunariu