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| Valery Korzun | |
|---|---|
| Name | Valery Korzun |
| Native name | Валерий Корзун |
| Birth date | 1953-01-06 |
| Birth place | Vladivostok, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Occupation | Cosmonaut, Pilot |
| Rank | Colonel, Russian Air Force |
| Missions | Mir EO-23/24, STS-111? |
Valery Korzun is a retired Soviet and Russian cosmonaut and pilot born in Vladivostok in 1953, noted for long-duration spaceflights aboard the Mir space station and for commanding international expeditions that involved Roscosmos, NASA, and ESA partners. He trained at Saratov Aviation Institute and served as a Russian Air Force officer before selection to the Roskosmos cosmonaut corps; his career intersected with programs such as Soyuz, Progress, Shuttle–Mir Program, and multinational missions that engaged institutions like Johnson Space Center, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and TsUP (Mission Control Center).
Born in Vladivostok during the era of the Soviet Union, he attended local schools before entering the Saratov Aviation Institute, where he completed studies linked to aviation and aeronautical engineering curricula associated with institutes that trained personnel for organizations including Aeroflot and the Ministry of Defence. He subsequently graduated from military flight training tied to Kacha Air Base and received officer training relevant to the Soviet Air Force career path; contemporaries from his cohort moved through institutions such as Gagarin Air Force Academy and served at units like 59th Fighter Aviation Regiment and 11th Air Army.
Korzun began service as a Soviet Air Force pilot, advancing to Colonel and flying aircraft types associated with regiments that interfaced with testing centers such as Gromov Flight Research Institute and units that supported programs including Buran and Soyuz test missions. Selected as a cosmonaut candidate by the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (also known as Star City), he underwent basic and advanced training alongside colleagues who later flew on Mir and International Space Station expeditions, participating in simulations supported by TsUP and cross-training coordinated with NASA and ESA specialists. His career encompassed assignments in long-duration Mir expeditions and international cooperative activities during the era of the Shuttle–Mir Program, involving coordination with the Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, and contractors such as RSC Energia and NPO Energia.
Korzun commanded and participated in long-duration stays aboard the Mir orbital complex, executing extravehicular activitys and station maintenance tasks coordinated with visiting Space Shuttle crews and Progress resupply missions; these expeditions required liaison with organizations including Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, Canadian Space Agency, and international scientific teams from institutes such as Max Planck Society, Russian Academy of Sciences, and Moscow State University. His flight manifests involved multiple Soyuz launches and returns, integrated timelines with STS missions under the Shuttle–Mir Program, and joint experiments spanning life sciences, materials science, and astrophysics conducted with laboratories like Johnson Space Center and facilities in Europe and Japan such as JAXA. On-station operations required collaboration with flight controllers at TsUP and payload specialists from centers including Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Research and Technology Centre.
For his service and achievements he received decorations typical of high-profile Soviet and Russian spaceflight veterans, conferred by bodies such as the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (historically), the President of Russia, and ministries including the Ministry of Defence (Russia), alongside recognition from international partners such as NASA and ESA operational awards and commendations from scientific institutions like the Russian Academy of Sciences and aerospace firms including RSC Energia and NPO Lavochkin.
Following active flight status he transitioned to roles in training, consultancy, and outreach connected with institutions such as the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, RSC Energia, and academic establishments like Moscow State University and Saratov Aviation Institute, engaging in public events organized by organizations including Roscosmos and museums such as the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics. He has appeared at conferences associated with professional societies like the International Astronautical Federation, collaborated with aerospace industry entities such as Sukhoi and MiG design bureaus on education initiatives, and contributed to veteran associations linked to the Russian Air Force and the cosmonaut corps.
Category:Russian cosmonauts Category:Soviet Air Force officers Category:1953 births Category:People from Vladivostok