Dumitru Prunariu

Dumitru Dorin Prunariu
Intercosmos Cosmonaut
Nationality Romanian
Born (1952-09-27) 27 September 1952
Braşov, Romania
Other occupation
 Aviator, Engineer, Diplomat
Time in space
 7d 20h 42m
Selection 1978 Intercosmos Group
Missions Soyuz 40

Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu (Romanian pronunciation: [duˈmitru dorin pruˈnarju]; born 27 September 1952) is the first and only Romanian cosmonaut. He flew in space aboard Soyuz 40 spacecraft and Saliut 6 space laboratory.

Biography

Early life and career

Born on September 27, 1952 in Braşov, Romania, Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu graduated in 1971 from the Physics and Mathematics high school in Braşov and in 1976 from the Politehnica University of Bucharest, obtaining a degree in Aerospace Engineering.

Prunariu worked as a Diploma Engineer at Industria Aeronautică Română, an aircraft industry facility, prior to enrolling in the Romanian Air Force Officers Training School in 1977.

Intercosmos program

Leonid Popov (left), and Dumitru Prunariu in 1981, interview before launch into space
cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu accomplishing medical experiments on board Saliut 6 space station. May 1981

He was selected for spaceflight training in 1978 as a part of the Intercosmos Program. Having obtained the highest marks during three years of preparation, he was then 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 is the 103rd human being to fly into the Outer Space.

Career after Intercosmos

Cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu receiving the title of Hero of Romania from President Nicolae Ceaușescu. June 8, 1981
The first Romanian cosmonaut, Lieutenant - General (Ret) Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu. The picture was taken on April 7, 2016.
Cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu receiving the title of Hero of the Soviet Union from the Head of USSR, Leonid Brezhnev. June 1, 1981

Since 1978 Prunariu was an active officer of the Romanian Air Force. For different periods of time Prunariu was detached within other ministries to perform civil functions. In 2007 he completely retired from the Air Force with the military rank of major general, continuing his professional activity as a civil servant. At the end of 2015, by a decree of the President of Romania, Prunariu received the 3rd star, becoming a lieutenant-general (ret.).

In January 1990 Prunariu was assigned the position of Deputy Minister to the Ministry of Transportation and Chief of the Romanian Civil Aviation Department, exercising this position for 1.5 years. In 1991 Prunariu graduated from the International Aviation Management Training Institute (IAMTI/IIFGA) located in Montreal, Canada – being after 1989 the first Romanian accomplishing a two months training for higher managers of civil aviation institutions.

Rocket scientist Hermann Oberth and cosmonaut Dumitru Prunariu in Feucht, Germany, June 2, 1989

Between 1992 and 1993 Prunariu was a Co-leader of the World Bank Project on reorganization of the higher education and research system in Romania.

Since 1995 Prunariu is the Vice-President of the International Institute for Risk, Security and Communication Management (EURISC), Bucharest. Between 1998 and 2004 Prunariu was the President of the Romanian Space Agency, and since 2000 an Associate Professor on Geopolitics within the Faculty of International Business and Economics, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania. For almost two years, starting with May 2004, he was the itinerary Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Russian Federation.

Cosmonaut Dumitru Dorin Prunariu receiving the title of Honorary Doctor of the Lindsey Wilson College of Columbia, KY. First from left, the President of the Lindsey Wilson College, Professor William Luckey. May 10, 2014.

In 2002 Prunariu was elected as the Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN COPUOS for the period February 2004 - February 2006, and in 2009 he was elected the Chairman of the UN COPUOS for the period of June 2010-June 2012, accomplishing successfully his duties. Between 2006 and 2008 Prunariu 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 Romanian Association for Space Technology and Industry - ROMSPACE.

Cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu meeting United States environmental analyst Lester R. Brown. In the middle, former president of Romania Ion Iliescu. Bucharest, Romania, May 17, 2010

In 2012 Prunariu was appointed as one of the 15 experts of the Group of Governmental Experts on outer space transparency and confidence-building measures, established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 65/68. Since 1992 Prunariu is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, and since 1994 a member of the Romanian National COSPAR Committee. Since 1992 he has represented the Government of Romania to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) sessions. In 2014 Prunariu was elected for a two years term as the vice-chairman of the International Relations Committee of ESA.

President of the Association of Space Explorers, cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, awarding the Pin of Distinguished Member of ASE HRH Prince Sultan Al Saud, first Saudi astronaut. Beijing, China, September 10, 2014

Association of Space Explorers

In 1985 Prunariu joined, as one of the founding members, the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) which (as of 2015) has over 400 members flown into outer space from 36 countries.

Prunariu was awarded the Medal for Merits in Space Exploration by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the Moscow Kremlin on 12 April 2011.

Between 1993 and 2004 he has been the permanent representative of ASE at United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) sessions.

Since 1996 Prunariu has been a member of the Executive Committee of ASE for two terms of tree years each. Since 2005 Prunariu has been a member of the ASE NEO Committee, taking part in several important activities connected with the subject, and organizing in 2007 in Romania one of the four international workshops of the ASE International Panel on Asteroid Threat Mitigation. Prunariu was the main interface in promoting the ASE International Panel’s Report Asteroid Threats: A Call For Global Response at the level of the UN COPUOS as a working document for the specialized bodies of this UN Committee.

In October 2010, at the XXIII Congress of the ASE, D. Prunariu was elected the President of the new organized Chapter of the association, ASE Europe, and at the XXIV Congress of ASE, in September 2011 D. Prunariu was elected for a three years term the President of ASE International.

Publications

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.

Personal life

Prunariu is married to Crina Prunariu, a diplomat in Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has two sons and two grandchildren.

Awards and honors

See also

External links

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