Balandin Alexander

Astronaut Russia. Born July 30, 1953 in Fryazino Moscow region. He graduated from the Moscow Higher Technical School named after Bauman. He then worked as associate scientific production association "Energy". He proved himself a qualified specialist, participated in the development of a new sample space. In 1978 he enlisted in the detachment of Soviet cosmonauts (1978 a group of civilian experts? 10). It has been a full course of general space training and preparing to fly to the ship type "Soyuz TM" and orbital station "Mir". Trained to fly on shuttle "Buran". In September 1989, was part of the backup crew during the flight of the Soyuz TM-8 ". From February 11 to August 9, 1990, together with Anatoly SOLOVYOVA flew into space as a flight engineer of Soyuz TM-9 ". He worked on board the orbital station "Mir". Length of stay in space was 179 days 1 hour 18 minutes. Works in the design office.

Hero of the Soviet Union. For implementation of the program "Cosmos - Human - Culture" on board the Mir station was awarded the scientific and creative community in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) the Order of the Golden Sagittarius.