ISS Expedition Seven crew biographies

Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko

Personal data:

Born 21 December 1961, Svetlovodsk, Kirovograd Area (the Ukraine). One son. His hobbies are sports, games, music and hunting.

Education:

In 1983 he graduated from Kharkov Higher Military Pilot School after S.I. Gritsevets, Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, with a diploma of pilot engineer. In 1993 he graduated from a postal tuition faculty of N.E. Zhukovsky Air-Force Engineering Academy as a specialist in Operational and Tactical Engineering, Flight Vehicles.

Awards and ranks:

Hero of the Russian Federation, Pilot Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation, National Hero of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Pilot-Cosmonaut 3. He is decorated with Gold Star Medal of the Hero of the Russian Federation, Medal of the National Hero of Kazakhstan Republic, Order of Military Services, Air Force Medals.

Work experience:

In 1983-1987 he served as a pilot, master pilot, commander of the flight section in the guards' fighter aviation regiment of the Odessa military region. He is a 3rd class military pilot. In 1987 he was enlisted in the Cosmonaut Training Centre detachment. In 1989 he qualified as a test cosmonaut. From September 1989 to December 1992 he trained for missions to the Mir space station as a member of the test cosmonaut group. In January - June 1993 he trained as Commander of the backup (third) crew for the EC-14 mission to the Mir Station. From July 1993 to January 1994 he trained as the backup crew Commander for the EC-15 mission to Mir. From February to June 1994 he trained for the EC-16 mission.

From August to December 1996 he was a coordinator of MCC at NASA.

In 1997-1998 he trained for missions to the ISS. From October 1998 to September 2000 he trained at NASA Johnson Space Center for an ISS assembly mission (2A, 2A/2B).

Spaceflight experience:

He performed his first space mission from 1 July to 4 November 1994 as Commander of the Soyuz TM-19 spacecraft and Mir Orbital Complex under the EC-16 programme together with Musabaev. During the mission he made two space walks; their total duration was 11 hours 7 min. He performed the first docking of the Mir Orbital Complex with the Progress M-24 cargo transport vehicle in the teleoperation control mode. He landed together with Musabaev and Merbold (Germany).

He performed his second space mission from 8 - 20 September 2000 as a flight specialist on board the Atlantis Orbiter (STS-106) under the ISS assembly programme (mission 2A/2B). During this mission the crew successfully prepared the ISS for the first long-term expedition arrival. During the mission he made one space walk; the duration was 6 hr 14 min.

Current assignment:

Assigned as Commander of the ISS Expedition 7 crew, Malenchenko currently serves on board the ISS.

(Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia)

Edward Tsang Lu (Ph.D.)

NASA astronaut

Personal data:

Born 1 July 1963, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Considers Honolulu, Hawaii, and Webster, New York, to be his hometowns. Unmarried. He enjoys aerobatic flying, coaching wrestling, piano, tennis, surfing, skiing, travel. His parents, Charlie and Snowlily Lu, reside in Fremont, California.

Education:

Graduated from R.L. Thomas High School, Webster, New York, in 1980. Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University, 1984. Doctorate in applied physics from Stanford University, 1989.

Organizations:

American Astronomical Society, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Experimental Aircraft Association.

Special honours:

Cornell University Presidential Scholar, Hughes Aircraft Company Masters Fellow.

Work experience:

Since obtaining his Ph.D., Dr. Lu has been a research physicist working in the fields of solar physics and astrophysics. He was a visiting scientist at the High Altitude Observatory in Boulder, Colorado, from 1989 until 1992, the final year holding a joint appointment with the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics at the University of Colorado.

From 1992 until 1995, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Astronomy in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Lu has developed a number of new theoretical advances, which have provided for the first time a basic understanding of the underlying physics of solar flares. He has published articles on a wide range of topics including solar flares, cosmology, solar oscillations, statistical mechanics, and plasma physics. He holds a commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings, and has over 1000 hours of flying time.

NASA experience:

Selected by NASA in December 1994, Dr. Lu reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995, has completed a year of training and evaluation, and is qualified for assignment as a mission specialist. Among technical assignments held since then Dr. Lu has worked in the astronaut office computer support branch, and has served as lead astronaut for Space Station training issues.

Spaceflight experience:

STS-84 Atlantis (15-24 May 1997), was NASA’s sixth Shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir.

STS-106 Atlantis (8-20 September 2000). During the 12-day mission, the crew successfully prepared the International Space Station for the arrival of the first permanent crew. The five astronauts and two cosmonauts delivered more than 6,600 pounds of supplies and installed batteries, power converters, life support, and exercise equipment on the Space Station. Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko performed a 6 hour and 14 minute space walk in order to connect power, data and communications cables to the newly arrived Zvezda Service Module and the Space Station.

Current assignment:

Assigned as Expedition 7 Flight Engineer and NASA ISS Science Officer, Dr. Lu currently serves aboard the International Space Station.

(Source: NASA)