Gennadii Vasilevich Sarafanov
Sarafanov, Gennadii Vasil’evich
Born Jan. 1, 1942, in the village of Sinen’kie, Saratov Raion, Saratov Oblast. Pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR; colonel. Hero of the Soviet Union (Sept. 2, 1974). Member of the CPSU since 1963.
After graduating from the Balashov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots in 1964, Sarafanov served in various Air Force units. In 1965 he became a cosmonaut. As spacecraft commander, Sarafanov made a flight in the Soyuz 15 spacecraft, together with L. S. Demin, from Aug. 26 to Aug. 28, 1974. Soyuz 15 completed 32 orbits of the earth in 48 hr 12 min. During the flight, Sarafanov worked out the process for maneuvering and rendezvousing with the Salyut 3 space station, which had been launched June 25, 1974.
Sarafanov has been awarded the Order of Lenin.