Romania Romanian cosmonaut badge

[Carol I]

Romania is one of the countries that have participated to manned space flights within the Intercosmos program. The preliminary selection for the cosmonaut training began in September 1977 when more than 150 pilots and engineers applied for the job. Of these 17 were selected as potential candidates and following a rigorous selection program only five qualified for the next steps. Two of them renounced and the remaining three candidates that departed for the final selection in the Soviet Union were Major Dumitru Dediu, Captain Cristian Guran and Senior Lieutenant Dumitru Prunariu. Cristian Guran was eliminated during the testing performed in Moscow. The remaining two pilots started their training program in Romania and in 1978 they left for the Gagarin Space Center to complete their cosmonaut training.

The Soyuz 40 flight took off on 14 May 1981 for the Salyut 6 space station with Dumitru Prunariu and Leonid Popov as crew. Only a few days before take off it was decided that Dumitru Prunariu will fly into space and that Dumitru Dediu will be the backup. During the mission, Prunariu performed studies of the Earth's magnetic field. Prunariu and Popov landed back on earth on 22 May 1981, 7 days 20 hours and 43 minutes after take off. The Soyuz 40 flight was the last flight of the original Intercosmos program.

The Romanian cosmonaut badge was based on the pilot badge - an eagle with spread wings, a design dating back to the late 1920s. The eagle with a globe in its claws is placed on a rayed background edged by two wreaths and a ribbon with the inscription COSMONAUT.

Several such badges appeared a couple of years ago on eBay (including the one above), but I doubt that they belonged to either Prunariu or Dediu.

[Carol I]

Dumitru Prunariu was born on 27 September 1952 in Braşov. He graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering before enrolling as a pilot in the Air Force. Following his flight into space in 1981, he remained involved in the Romanian space activities. He eventually rose to the rank of major general (in 2003). In 2004 he was named Ambassador to Russia, but was recalled in 2005 as the position (representing a NATO country in Russia) required a career diplomat.

Following his 1981 flight he was awarded the titles of Hero of the Romanian Socialist Republic and Hero of the Soviet Union.

In the year 2000 he received the Order of the Star of Romania with the rank of Grand Officer.

[Carol I]

Dumitru Dediu was born in Galaţi on 12 May 1942. He was a career officer in the Air Force. He retired in 1997 with the rank of Comandor (Colonel). Regarding the 1981 selection of Prunariu to fly into space, he declared "It was not easy, but this is faith - we knew from the very beginning that only one of us will fly".

[Gordon Craig]

Carol 1,

Great post! It would be interesting if we could have a post for all of the Cosmonauts who flew in the Intercosmos series. I know the the DDR, North Viet Nam, Hungary and Rumania took part in Intercosmos flights. Anyone else know who the other participating countries were?

Regards,

Gordon

[Carol I]

Carol 1,

Great post!

Thanks, Gordon.

Anyone else know who the other participating countries were?

Here is some information from Wikipedia: Intercosmos.

[Carol I]

The capsule of Soyuz 40 now in the collections of the National Military Museum.

[Carol I]

Flight badge

[Carol I]

Program badge

[Carol I]

On 7 February 2007 Dumitru Prunariu retired by decree of the President of Romania.

[new world]

...

Several such badges appeared a couple of years ago on eBay (including the one above), but I doubt that they belonged to either Prunariu or Dediu.

I remember seing them on for sale, I always assumed they were copies.

William

[Carol I]

Another Romanian cosmonaut badge (from eBay). It bears the inscription Primul cosmonaut roman (The First Romanian Cosmonaut) and the year 1981 hence it makes a direct reference to Prunariu, but I have no idea whether it is an official issue, some sort of a pin or a fantasy badge.

[Anatoly13]

This badge was handed over to experts who have been connected with preparation and realization of the Romanian space program within the limits of the project "Intercosmos".

[Anatoly13]

Another badge.

Seems newmade (((

[oldlincolnian]

Prunariu's badge #1 is lodged in the Romanian Military Aviation Museum in Bucurest, along with various other badges associated with his flight. His is the 1st class badge, gold with a silver eagle and the state crest in gold. Dediu's badge was the 2nd class badge (as above, silver with a gold eagle and the state crest in enamel as with other period air force pilot badges) I believe that Dediu's badge is also in the Museum, but I am not sure how it was numbered. the numbering is done on the rear of the badge, behind the ball the eagle rests on. I have first class badge #2, but it is not clear if this badge was also issued to Prunariu or was made in readyness in a series in preparation for a desired series of Romanian Cosmonauts. I believe that the latter is most likely, or that it was intended for Captain Cristian Guran, the third final selection for the program, who did not complete his Soviet training regime.

A couple of items worthy of note. There is a website which claims to sell original items of original space memorabilia for very large sums of money. They appear to have an exact replica (at least on the surface) of the Prunariu set and presentation as it appears in the museum in Bucurest. I have also seen highly credible but un-numbered examples of both the first class and second class badges available for sale (albeit in very small numbers over the years) on Ebay and I am aware of un-numbered examples in a couple of private collections. (which probably came from those Ebay sales). I am only aware of numbered badges #1 and #2 in first class to exist. It is, I suppose, reasonable to presume that there was a small production run of these badges for the ROMANIAN SPACE PROGRAM, and it is I suppose reasonable to assume that after the Intercosmos program finished and eventually the Socialist Republic of Romania ceased to exist as such, that these genuine, period, small group of badges may have escaped into the collector market. I do not believe that they have ever been mass-produced. The Romanians are exceptionaly proud of their only Cosmonaut Prunariu!!

[Gordon Craig]

oldlincolnian,

Thanks for your interesting comments on these Romanian badges. I have visited the site you talked about and tried to strike a deal on the Hungarian badges he had without any success. Which was fine because I was ablle to get a complete setin Hungary for almmost nothing.

Regards,

Gordon

[oldlincolnian]

I can now add some additional information about some of these badges.

First the small gold badge with the blue enamel centre, "The First Romanian Cosmonaut". This is a purely commemorative badge, was widely made and sold to honour Dimitru Prunariu. "Everyone had one"....

Secondly my research with Romanian help has elecited that there were 5 first class and 5 second class Cosmonaut bages made and numbered, obviously 1 through 5. At the same time several more of the same batch were made but NOT NUMBERED. Badges from this original batch were made with a pin 3.5 cm long. On the 1st class badge the number of the badge was punched into the gold backing of the badge before the silver bird and gold state crest were attached. Rivets on the crest pass through the other two layers to hold the assembly togther. Likewise on the 2nd class badge the number of the badge was punched into the silver backing of the badge before the golden bird and enamelled state crest were attached. Rivets on the crest pass through the other two layers to hold the assembly togther.It would not be possible to add the punch number to the additional un-numbered badges without destroying the rivets on the crest and it seems unlikely that the additional un-numbered badges were ever intended for issue. They may have been used as presentation pieces to dignitaries. It should be noted however that the un-numbered original badges bore the same pin positioned so that it was possible for a number to be stamped. This is how one can identify the original un-numbered batch. I have not been able to track all the numbered badges down, but have discovered that most are in private collections in Romania. Only badges of both 1st class and 2nd class numbered 1 and 2 were assigned to individuals. The others were unused.

However, there exist examples of both the first class and second class un-numbered badges which have much longer pins at the rear, with the fastening catch located behind the globe at the front, occupying the position where the number of a genuine item would have been. These later production, presumably souvenir items at best, or attempted copy/fakes, which changed hands expensively in the early 1990's, appear to be made from the same dies and may have been made in volume because die degredation is evident in areas on some of these badges and the fit and finish is not quite as precise as on the original numbered badges.

With regard to 1st class badge #2 in my collection. It is the badge which would have been awarded to Dimitru Dediu had he flown. He was rated as a second class cosmonaut on completion of training but would have been upgraded to 1st class on return. Apparently Prunariu was awarded his first class badge #1 on return from the only mission flown by a Romanian communist era cosmonaut, which leads me to believe (though unconfirmed) that the 2nd class badge on dispay in Bucarest with Prunariu's 1st class badge is probaly 2nd class badge #1, as issued to Prunariu before launch, being the highest qualified in training. One assumes that Dediu retained his 2nd class badge #2 and as he never got to undertake a mission, was never awarded 1st class badge #2. I am unsure as to how exactly 1st class badge #2 escaped from Romania, but I am delighted to have brought it into my collection. It is certainly a beautiful piece.

Edited January 14, 2013 by oldlincolnian