Astronaut of Russia and Kazakhstan is now deputy chief of space training center
"Yury Ivanovich has contributed a lot to the development of Russian space science. His exclusive experience will ensure successful accomplishment of the objectives of the Center and fulfillment of the international liabilities per the ISS program", - Chief of the Training Center Yury Lonchakov commented on Yury Malenchenko's appointment.
Yury Malenchenko has performed six space flights (826 days in space). He was given the highest award of RoK - the Golden Star "Khalyk Kakharmany and the title of "The Space Pilot of Kazakhstan" in 1995. The Russian astronaut gained this high recognition together with the first astronaut of Kazakhstan Talgat Mussabayev.
The crew with captain Yury Malenchenko and flight engineer Talgat Mussabayev performed the first space flight in 1994 which lasted for 126 days. They made two extravehicular activities. During this difficult expedition there were many emergency situations which Malenchenko and Mussabayev resolved with good grace saving the space station "Mir".