Dumitru Prunariu
Encyclopedia
Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu is a retired Romania
n astronaut
who flew aboard Soyuz 40
.
, Romania
, Prunariu graduated from the Physics and Mathematics high school in Braşov in 1971 and from the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest in 1976, obtaining a degree in Aerospace Engineering
.
Prunariu worked as a Diploma Engineer at "Industria Aeronautică Română
IAR- Braşov", an aircraft industry facility, prior to enrolling in the Romanian Air Force
Officers Training School in 1977.
Program. Obtaining the maximum marks during three years of preparation he was selected for a joint space flight with the Russian cosmonaut Leonid Popov
. In May 1981 they completed an eight-day space mission on board Soyuz 40
and the Salyut 6
space laboratory where they completed scientific experiments in the fields of astrophysics
, space radiation, space technology
, space medicine
and biology. Prunariu became the 103rd human being to fly into the Outer Space.
In 1981, after completing the flight, he received the awards of Hero of the Socialist Republic of Romania and Hero of the Soviet Union
(22 May 1981) and the medal "Golden Star". He was also awarded the Order of Lenin
.
(1992 - corresponding member, 2008 - full member) and a member of the Romanian National COSPAR
Committee (1994). In 1984 he was awarded the "Hermann Oberth Gold Medal" by the German Rocket Society "Hermann Oberth
- Wernher von Braun". In 1985 joined the Association of Space Explorers
(ASE), which currently (2010) comprises over 325 flown individuals from 35 countries. Since 1993 until 2004 he has been the permanent representative of the Association of Space Explorers at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
(COPUOS) sessions. Since 1996 Prunariu has been a member of the Executive Committee of ASE for two terms of tree years. Since 1992 he has represented the Government of Romania to the UN COPUOS sessions.
Since 1995 Prunariu is the Vice-President of the International Institute for Risk, Security and Communication Management (EURISC), Bucharest.
From 1998 to 2004 Prunariu was the President of the Romanian Space Agency
, and from 2000 an Associate Professor on Geopolitics within the Faculty of International Business and Economics, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania. In 2004 he was elected as the Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN COPUOS for a two years term. On 1 December 2000, he was appointed a Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Romania
.
For 1,5 years starting with May 2004 he was the itinerary Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Russian Federation.
In February 2007 he completely retired from the Ministry of Defense with the rank of a Major-General, continuing to work on the same positions as a civilian servant. Until September 2008 he accomplished the duties of the Director of the Romanian Office for Science and Technology to the European Union
(ROST) in Brussels. Currently, Prunariu is working for the Romanian Space Agency as an expert within the Airspace Consulting Association. He was elected the Chairman of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) for the period of June 2010-June 2012. In addition to that, at the 23rd Congress of the Association of Space Explorers that took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the period of 5-10 October 2010, D. Prunariu was elected the President of the new organized Chapter of the association, ASE Europe. In appreciation of his activity within the Association of Space Explorers and his active involvement, at the 24th Congress of ASE which took place in September 2011, in Moscow, D. Prunariu was elected the President of the full ASE, with a mandate of 3 years.
Prunariu is a co-author of several books regarding space technology and space flight and has presented/published numerous scientific papers. His PhD thesis produced new developments in the field of space flight dynamics.
Prunariu is married to Crina Prunariu and has two sons and three grandchildren.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
who flew aboard Soyuz 40
Soyuz 40
-Backup crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: 6800 kg*Perigee: 198.1 km*Apogee: 287 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 89.06 minutes-Mission highlights:...
.
Early life and career
Born on September 27, 1952 in BraşovBrasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Prunariu graduated from the Physics and Mathematics high school in Braşov in 1971 and from the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest in 1976, obtaining a degree in Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
.
Prunariu worked as a Diploma Engineer at "Industria Aeronautică Română
Industria Aeronautica Româna
Industria Aeronautică Română or Romanian Aeronautic Industry in English, is a Romanian aerospace manufacturer founded in 1925. Based in Ghimbav, near Braşov, Romania, the company employs around 1200 specialists including more than 170 engineers...
IAR- Braşov", an aircraft industry facility, prior to enrolling in the Romanian Air Force
Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade...
Officers Training School in 1977.
Intercosmos program
He was selected for spaceflight training in 1978 as a part of the IntercosmosIntercosmos
Interkosmos was a space program of the Soviet Union designed to include members of military forces of allied Warsaw Pact countries in manned and unmanned missions...
Program. Obtaining the maximum marks during three years of preparation he was selected for a joint space flight with the Russian cosmonaut Leonid Popov
Leonid Popov
Leonid Ivanovich Popov is a former Soviet cosmonaut.Popov was born in Oleksandriia, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukrainian SSR. He was selected as a cosmonaut on April 27, 1970, and flew as Commander on Soyuz 35, Soyuz 40 and Soyuz T-7, logging 200 days, 14 hours, and 45 minutes in space before his...
. In May 1981 they completed an eight-day space mission on board Soyuz 40
Soyuz 40
-Backup crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: 6800 kg*Perigee: 198.1 km*Apogee: 287 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 89.06 minutes-Mission highlights:...
and the Salyut 6
Salyut 6
Salyut 6 , DOS-5, was a Soviet orbital space station, the eighth flown as part of the Salyut programme. Launched on 29 September 1977 by a Proton rocket, the station was the first of the 'second-generation' type of space station. Salyut 6 possessed several revolutionary advances over the earlier...
space laboratory where they completed scientific experiments in the fields of astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, space radiation, space technology
Space technology
Space technology is technology that is related to entering, and retrieving objects or life forms from space."Every day" technologies such as weather forecasting, remote sensing, GPS systems, satellite television, and some long distance communications systems critically rely on space infrastructure...
, space medicine
Space medicine
Space medicine is the practice of medicine on astronauts in outer space whereas astronautical hygiene is the application of science and technology to the prevention or control of exposure to the hazards that may cause astronaut ill health. Both these sciences work together to ensure that...
and biology. Prunariu became the 103rd human being to fly into the Outer Space.
In 1981, after completing the flight, he received the awards of Hero of the Socialist Republic of Romania and Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
(22 May 1981) and the medal "Golden Star". He was also awarded the Order of Lenin
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
.
Afterwards
Prunariu is a member of the International Academy of AstronauticsInternational Academy of Astronautics
The International Academy of Astronautics is an international community of experts committed to expanding the frontiers of space. It is a non-governmental organisation established in Stockholm on August 16, 1960....
(1992 - corresponding member, 2008 - full member) and a member of the Romanian National COSPAR
COSPAR
The Committee on Space Research was established by the International Council for Science in 1958.Among COSPAR's objectives are the promotion of scientific research in space on an international level, with emphasis on the free exchange of results, information, and opinions, and providing a forum,...
Committee (1994). In 1984 he was awarded the "Hermann Oberth Gold Medal" by the German Rocket Society "Hermann Oberth
Hermann Oberth
Hermann Julius Oberth was an Austro-Hungarian-born German physicist and engineer. He is considered one of the founding fathers of rocketry and astronautics.- Early life :...
- Wernher von Braun". In 1985 joined the Association of Space Explorers
Association of Space Explorers
The Association of Space Explorers is a non-profit organization with a membership composed of people who have completed at least one Earth orbit in space . It was founded in 1985, and the current membership stands at 320 from 34 different countries...
(ASE), which currently (2010) comprises over 325 flown individuals from 35 countries. Since 1993 until 2004 he has been the permanent representative of the Association of Space Explorers at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was established in 1958 as an ad hoc committee...
(COPUOS) sessions. Since 1996 Prunariu has been a member of the Executive Committee of ASE for two terms of tree years. Since 1992 he has represented the Government of Romania to the UN COPUOS sessions.
Since 1995 Prunariu is the Vice-President of the International Institute for Risk, Security and Communication Management (EURISC), Bucharest.
From 1998 to 2004 Prunariu was the President of the Romanian Space Agency
Romanian Space Agency
The Romanian Space Agency is the Romanian national Coordinator for space-related technology, activities and programs since 1991....
, and from 2000 an Associate Professor on Geopolitics within the Faculty of International Business and Economics, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania. In 2004 he was elected as the Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN COPUOS for a two years term. On 1 December 2000, he was appointed a Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Romania
Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania...
.
For 1,5 years starting with May 2004 he was the itinerary Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Russian Federation.
In February 2007 he completely retired from the Ministry of Defense with the rank of a Major-General, continuing to work on the same positions as a civilian servant. Until September 2008 he accomplished the duties of the Director of the Romanian Office for Science and Technology to the European Union
Romanian Office for Science and Technology to the European Union
Romanian Office for Science and Technology to the European Union was setup in Brussels in 2006 by the National Authority for Scientific Research of Romania.-Mission of the office:...
(ROST) in Brussels. Currently, Prunariu is working for the Romanian Space Agency as an expert within the Airspace Consulting Association. He was elected the Chairman of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) for the period of June 2010-June 2012. In addition to that, at the 23rd Congress of the Association of Space Explorers that took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the period of 5-10 October 2010, D. Prunariu was elected the President of the new organized Chapter of the association, ASE Europe. In appreciation of his activity within the Association of Space Explorers and his active involvement, at the 24th Congress of ASE which took place in September 2011, in Moscow, D. Prunariu was elected the President of the full ASE, with a mandate of 3 years.
Prunariu is a co-author of several books regarding space technology and space flight and has presented/published numerous scientific papers. His PhD thesis produced new developments in the field of space flight dynamics.
Prunariu is married to Crina Prunariu and has two sons and three grandchildren.
External links
- Website of the Romanian Space Agency
- Website of ARCA, the Romanian Cosmonautics and Aeronautics Association
- Spacefacts biography of Dumitru Prunariu Cosmonautul Prunariu, trimis în rezervă ("Cosmonaut Prunariu, discharged from active duty"), in AdevărulAdevarulAdevărul is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in 1871 and reestablished in 1888, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Romanian Kingdom's existence, adopting an independent pro-democratic position, advocating land reform and universal suffrage...
, February 7, 2007 O cariera cosmica: Dumitru Prunariu , in Cariere, Mai 6, 2003