May 25

Georgy Grechko was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in 1931 and graduated as a mechanical engineer before joining the Soviet space program. He flew aboard Soyuz 17, Soyuz 26, and Soyuz T-14, spending over 200 days in space and participating in pioneering experiments on Salyut stations. Grechko conducted scientific research, spacewalks, and helped develop life-support systems for long-duration missions. After retiring from flight in 1982, he held leadership roles in the Soviet space ministry and promoted space science education. His work advanced human understanding of orbital habitation and inspired future generations of cosmonauts.