Aleksandr Lazutkin
Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Family name hatnoteTemplate:Expand Russian Template:Infobox astronaut Aleksandr Ivanovich Lazutkin (Template:Langx; born October 30, 1957)<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> is a former Russian cosmonaut.
Life and career
Lazutkin attended the Moscow Aviation Institute and received a degree in mechanical engineering.<ref name=":0" /> He was selected as a cosmonaut on March 3, 1992. His first spaceflight was Soyuz TM-25, where he served as the flight engineer.
Lazutkin has stated that Russian cosmonauts were given cognac for extended missions in space.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1997 Progress supply mission
Lazutkin was aboard the Mir Space Station when a collision occurred with the uncrewed Progress M34, its supply craft, which was piloted by Vasily Tsibliyev while on the Mir.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref> The collision, considered the worst in the history of the space age,<ref name=":2" /> knocked out Spektr's solar panels and caused the Mir to lose alignment with the sun, resulting in a loss of power.<ref name=":2" /> It also caused the cabin to decompress.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Quick action by the three crew members managed to avert immediate disaster.<ref name=":2" /> Lazutkin and fellow crew member Michael Foale quickly severed the connecting cables with the module and sealed off the hatches to the module, saving the rest of the station.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Lazutkin successfully cut some of the wires connecting the Mir and the Spektr using a small dinner knife.<ref name=":1" /> A few days after the collision, Tsibliyev and Lazutkin were ordered to attempt to repair the Mir, while Foale was ordered to the Soyuz-TM escape pod.<ref name=":1" /> The station was eventually secured safely.<ref name=":2"/>
See also
References
Template:Astronaut-stub
Template:Russia-engineer-stub
Template:USSR-engineer-stub