Dumitru Prunariu Dumitru - Dorin Prunariu ( ; born September 27 , 1952 ) is a retired Romania n astronaut who flew aboard Soyuz 40 . Early life and career . Born on September 27 , 1952 in Braşov , Romania , Prunariu graduated from the Physics and Mathematics high school in Braşov in 1971 and from the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest in 1976 , obtaining a degree in Aerospace Engineering . Prunariu worked as a Diploma Engineer at " Industria Aeronautică Română IAR - Braşov " , an aircraft industry facility , prior to enrolling in the Romanian Air Force Officers Training School in 1977 . Intercosmos program . He was selected for spaceflight training in 1978 as a part of the Intercosmos Program . Obtaining the maximum marks during three years of preparation he was selected for a joint space flight with the Russian cosmonaut Leonid Popov . In May 1981 they completed an eight - day space mission on board Soyuz 40 and the Salyut 6 space laboratory where they completed scientific experiments in the fields of astrophysics , space radiation , space technology , space medicine and biology . Prunariu became the 103rd human being to fly into the Outer Space . In 1981 , after completing the flight , he received the awards of Hero of the Socialist Republic of Romania and Hero of the Soviet Union ( 22 May 1981 ) and the medal " Golden Star " . He was also awarded the Order of Lenin . Afterwards . Prunariu is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics ( 1992 - corresponding member , 2008 - full member ) and a member of the Romanian National COSPAR Committee ( 1994 ) . In 1984 he was awarded the " Hermann Oberth Gold Medal " by the German Rocket Society " Hermann Oberth - Wernher von Braun " . In 1985 he joined the Association of Space Explorers ( ASE ) , which currently ( 2012 ) comprises over 350 flown individuals from 35 countries . From 1993 until 2004 he was the permanent representative of the Association of Space Explorers at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space ( COPUOS ) sessions . Since 1996 Prunariu has been a member of the Executive Committee of ASE for two terms of three years . Since 1992 he has represented the Government of Romania to the UN COPUOS sessions . Since 1995 Prunariu is the Vice - President of the International Institute for Risk , Security and Communication Management ( EURISC ) , Bucharest . From 1998 to 2004 Prunariu was the President of the Romanian Space Agency , and from 2000 an Associate Professor on Geopolitics within the Faculty of International Business and Economics , Academy of Economic Studies , Bucharest , Romania . In 2004 he was elected as the Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN COPUOS for a two years term . On 1 December 2000 , he was awarded the highest state order of Romania , Star of Romania in rank of a Grand Officer . From May 2004 until August 2005 Prunariu was the itinerary Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Russian Federation . In February 2007 he completely retired from the Ministry of Defense with the rank of a Major - General , continuing to work on the same positions as a civilian servant . Until September 2008 he accomplished the duties of the Director of the Romanian Office for Science and Technology to the European Union ( ROST ) in Brussels . Currently , Prunariu is working for the Romanian Space Agency as an expert within the Airspace Consulting Association . He was elected as Chairman of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space ( COPUOS ) for the period of June 2010 - June 2012 . In addition to that , at the 23rd Congress of the Association of Space Explorers that took place in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , in the period of 5 – 10 October 2010 , D . Prunariu was elected the President of the new organized Chapter of the association , ASE Europe . In appreciation of his activity within the Association of Space Explorers and his active involvement , at the 24th Congress of ASE which took place in September 2011 , in Moscow , D . Prunariu was elected the President of the whole ASE , with a mandate of 3 years . In November 2011 Prunariu became a Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy . In September 2012 Prunariu received the " Social Sciences Award " of the International Academy of Astronautics for significant and lasting contributions to the advancement of the astronautical sciences . As a consequence of his professionalism , experience and correctness , in October 2012 Prunariu was appointed and accomplished the job as chairman of the Nominations Committee for the International Astronautic Federations ' officers and president for the period 2012 – 2014 . Prunariu is a co - author of several books regarding space technology and space flight and has presented / published numerous scientific papers . His PhD thesis produced new developments in the field of space flight dynamics . In May 2012 an updated biography of Dumitru - Dorin Prunariu was published by " Adevarul " publishing house from Bucharest . Prunariu is married to Crina Prunariu and has two sons and three grandchildren .