Musa Manarov

Musa Manarov, born on March 22, 1951, is a distinguished former Soviet cosmonaut, engineer, and politician. His journey began with a solid educational foundation, graduating from the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1974 with an engineering qualification. Following his graduation, he served as a colonel in the Soviet Air Force, where he honed his skills and leadership abilities.

On December 1, 1978, Manarov was selected as a cosmonaut, embarking on a remarkable career that would see him spend a total of five hundred forty-one days in space. His first significant mission was as a flight engineer on Soyuz TM-4, where he spent an impressive three hundred sixty-five days, twenty-two hours, and thirty-eight minutes in orbit from December 21, 1987, to December 21, 1988.

Manarov's second mission on Soyuz TM-11, from December 2, 1990, to May 26, 1991, further solidified his legacy, as he achieved the longest continuous time spent in space by anyone at that time, totaling one hundred seventy-five days, one hour, and fifty minutes. During this mission, he conducted extensive observations of Earth and engaged in space manufacturing, alongside performing over twenty hours of spacewalks.

In addition to his illustrious career in space, Manarov also ventured into politics, serving as a member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation during the fifth convocation from 2007 to 2011, representing the United Russia faction. Today, he resides in Russia, where he continues to inspire future generations with his extraordinary achievements.