Yuri Lonchakov

Yuri Valentinovich Lonchakov
Cosmonaut Nationality Kazakh/ RussianBorn 4 March 1965
Balkhash, KazakhstanOther occupation PilotRank Colonel, Russian Air ForceSpace time 22d 18h 24m Selection 1997Missions STS-100, Soyuz TMA-1Mission
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Yuri Valentinovich Lonchakov (Russian: Юрий Валентинович Лончаков; born 4 March 1965) is a Russian cosmonaut and a veteran of two space missions.

Lonchakov was born in Balkhash and entered the Russian Air Force following graduation from high school in 1982. He served as a paratrooper and pilot and was selected as a cosmonaut candidate in 1997. Lonchakov's first spaceflight was Space Shuttle mission STS-100, visiting the International Space Station. Lonchakov again visited the ISS in 2002 aboard the Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-1.

He was assigned as a Flight Engineer on Expedition 19 [1], but was transferred to the Expedition 18 crew as a Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander, after Salizhan Sharipov was removed from the crew due to health concerns.