Nice Day For A Space Wedding | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-04.14.25

Airborne-NextGen-04.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-04.16.25

Airborne-AffordableFliers-04.17.25

SunnFun-DayFour-04.03.25

Mon, Aug 11, 2003

Nice Day For A Space Wedding

Russia Permits Malenchenko Nuptials

It's been billed by the Russian Space Agency (RSA) as the first -- and last -- space wedding involving a cosmonaut. Orbiting 240 miles above the Earth, Yuri Malenchenko tied the knot Sunday with his Russian-born sweetheart, now a US citizen living in Houston (TX). ISS Science Officer Ed Lu, the only other occupant aboard Space Station Alpha right now, acted as best man.

As the ISS hurtled around the globe at 17,500 miles an hour, the 41-year old cosmonaut and his 26-year old love, Yekaterina Dmitriyeva, promised to love, honor and cherish over a radio link between the station and Houston. The couple plans to be married again in a Russian church after the ISS-7 crew returns to Earth.

The couple wed Sunday before family and friends in a private ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where Col. Malenchenko took part via video. Texas law allows weddings in which one of the parties is not present. "It was very sweet," said Joanne Woodward, the wedding planner. A life-size cutout of the groom greeted guests at the wedding reception, at a restaurant decorated with silver stars and mannequins dressed as astronauts
 


RSA spokesman Sergei Gorbunov said before the wedding that he had no objection. "Marriage is a cosmonaut's own business," he told the ITAR-TASS news agency. "Actions by cosmonauts in orbit are regulated by the inter-governmental Code of Cosmonauts' Conduct on Board the ISS which contains no direct ban on marriages." Yeah, but Malenchenko is also a Russian military officer and, as such, is privy to secure information. His marriage to a foreigner could be career-ending. So, Moscow has decided to fill in the loopholes. Gorbunov promised that, in the future, "Space marriages will be forbidden." To put a point on it, he said this would be made explicit in cosmonauts' contracts.

FMI: http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/rsa/rsa.html

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.14.25): Chart Supplement U.S.

Chart Supplement U.S. A flight information publication designed for use with appropriate IFR or VFR charts which contains data on all airports, seaplane bases, and heliports open t>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.14.25)

Aero Linx: EUROCONTROL EUROCONTROL is a pan-European, civil-military organisation dedicated to supporting European aviation. Our expertise spans research, development, operations a>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.14.25)

“The pilot conducted a risk assessment of the flight; however, he omitted to include the carriage (transportation) of the penguin on-board... the cyclic pitch control lever a>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Aviator Sean O’Donnell – A Love For Flight Has No Limits

From 2016 (YouTube Edition): What's Holding YOU Back From Your Dream Of Flight? While at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo 2016, ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell, shares a conv>[...]

Airborne 04.14.25: H2-Powered R44, Oshkosh Organized Chaos, UAL School Sued

Also: Spirit CEO Resigns, ‘Mental Health in Aviation’, U-2 Dragon Lady, Elixir Delivers Unither Bioelectronics announced that its modified Robinson R44 helicopter made >[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC