Aleksandr Balandin

Aleksandr Ivanovich Balandin (born 27 May 1953 in Moscow) is a retired Russian cosmonaut and former colonel of the Russian Air Force. He was selected as part of the 1978 NPOE‑4 group of cosmonaut candidates. Balandin flew a single long‑duration mission to the Mir space station aboard Soyuz TM‑9, launching on 5 February 1990 and returning on 4 August 1990 after 179 days, 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 59 seconds in space. During the mission he performed two EVAs totaling 9 hours 36 minutes, contributing to the assembly and maintenance of Mir. After his flight, he continued to work with the Russian space program in various technical and training capacities before retiring from active service. He has been awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation, the Order of Honour, and the Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration".