Georgy Mikhaylovich Grechko

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Georgy Mikhaylovich Grechko was born on May 25, 1931 and rose to become a renowned Soviet cosmonaut after graduating with a doctorate in mathematics from the Leningrad Institute of Mechanics. As a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, he played a significant role in various space missions including Soyuz 17, Soyuz 26, and Soyuz T-14. Grechko later worked at Sergei Korolev's design bureau where he was selected for cosmonaut training as part of the Soviet moon program. Following its cancellation, he shifted focus to working on the Salyut space stations. During his illustrious career, Grechko made history by becoming the first person to perform a spacewalk in an Orlan space suit on December 20, 1977 during the Salyut 6 EO-1 mission. His remarkable achievements earned him two Hero of the Soviet Union medals and he was also honored with numerous accolades for his contributions to the field. Grechko resigned from the space program in 1992 to pursue a career as an atmospheric physics lecturer at the Russian Academy of Sciences, where he shared his expertise and insights. In addition, Grechko has penned his memoirs titled "Cosmonaut No. 34: From Splinter to Aliens" which was published by Olma Media Grupp in Moscow in 2013. As a testament to his legacy, the minor planet 3148 Grechko discovered by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in 1979 bears his name. Furthermore, along with fellow space explorers Alexey Leonov, Vitaly Sevastyanov, and Rusty Schweickart, Grechko co-founded the Association of Space Explorers in 1984, which offers membership to individuals who have ventured into outer space.