Dumitru Dorin Prunariu (PRUNARIU Dumitru Dorin)

The first citizen of Romania who made space flight. Born September 27, 1952 in the city of Brasov. After graduating in 1971, the physico-mathematical school entered the Bucharest Polytechnic Institute. In 1976 he successfully graduated from the specialty aerospace engineer. As was assigned as an engineer at an aircraft factory in the city of Brasov. In 1977 he graduated from the Military aviation officers' school. He served in the Air Force of the Romanian People's Army. In 1978, together with other Romanian Dumitru DEDIU pilot was selected for training to fly into space aboard a Soviet manned spacecraft program of cooperation between socialist countries of the Intercosmos. In the same year, began training at the Cosmonaut Training Center named after Yury Gagarin.

It has been fully trained to fly in space aboard the spacecraft "Soyuz TM" and orbital station "Salyut-6". From 14 to 22 May 1981 with a Soviet cosmonaut Leonid Ivanovich Popov flew into space as a cosmonaut-researcher spacecraft "Soyuz-40". Within seven days they worked on board the orbital station Salyut-6 - Soyuz T-4 "-" Soyuz-40 ", along with cosmonauts Vladimir Vasilyevich Kovalenko, and Victor P. SAVIGNY. The flight lasted 7 days 20 hours 41 minutes 52 seconds. During the flight there was an extensive set of studies and experiments in astrophysics, space radiation, materials science, space medicine and biology. After returning home he served as a senior inspector for the flight service of the Rumanian People's Army Air Force and also taught at the Aerospace Faculty of Budapest Polytechnic theory of space flight. Unlike their counterparts in other socialist countries, . after the flight did not get high positions in government, . because the then ruling regime of Ceausescu, he could not accept the fact, . that the first Romanian cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union is,
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In January 1990 he was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport of Romania and the head of Civil Aviation of Romania. In 1991 he graduated from the International Institute for training of aviation management personnel in Montreal (Canada). In 1992 he was appointed a board member of the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA), and since 1998 he is the President - Director General ROSA. Since 1995 is also the Vice-President of the International Institute for the Safety of Air Navigation.

Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Astronautics (since 1992). Member of the Romanian National Committee of COSPAR (since 1994). Since 1992, represents the Government of Romania to the UN Commission on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes. In 1985 he was one of the founding members of space flight (ASE). Since 1993, the association regularly represented at sessions of the UN Committee on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes.

Hero of the Soviet Union (Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 22 May 1981). Hero of the Socialist Republic of Romania (Decree of the President of the Socialist Republic of Romania on May 22, 1981). Awarded the Order of Lenin, the Romanian orders and medals. German Society for Space Research awarded the Gold Medal of Hermann Oberth.

Author of several books on space flights and conducted research and experimentation. Were published in scientific journals. He defended his thesis on the dynamics of space flight.

Fluent in English, French and Russian.

Married. Has two sons.