Historic First Romanian in Space

On May 14, 1981, Dumitru Prunariu became the 103rd cosmonaut and the youngest Romanian to journey into space. Launched aboard the Soyuz-40 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Prunariu joined Soviet cosmonaut Leonid Popov for a mission that docked with the Salyut 6 orbital complex.

During the seven-day mission, the crew conducted 22 scientific experiments in fields like astrophysics and biomedicine, orbiting Earth 125 times and experiencing 16 sunrises and sunsets daily. Prunariu described seeing Romania from space as resembling a “golden loaf of bread.” His return to Earth on May 22nd cemented his status as a national hero and a symbol of Romanian achievement.