Rimantas Stankevičius
Encyclopedia
Rimantas Antanas Stankevičius (July 26, 1944 in Marijampolė
, Lithuania
– September 9, 1990 in Salgareda
, Italy
) was a Lithuania
n cosmonaut who test flew Soviet space shuttle Buran and its test vehicles. He was killed in a crash of his Su-27 fighter plane during an airshow in Salgareda.
, Egypt
, Turkmenia. In 1975 Stankevičius became a test pilot
. He has accomplished spin
testing of MiG-29. He flew 57 types of aircraft and had over 4000 hours of flying experience. In 1982 he was graded as a 1st class test-pilot.
In 1979 he was assigned to prepare for 11F35 (Buran, USSR space shuttle). In February 1982 he passed all the required exams and became the first Lithuanian cosmonaut
. After September 1984 he trained to fly the space shuttle Buran. Stankevičius accomplished 14 test-flights with Buran's counterpart BTS-02
aircraft and 6 taxi tests with Buran. He was both the pilot and the commander of the space shuttle.
In 1990 Rimantas Stankevičius participated the Everett Air Show with a Su-27 fighter jet. Soon after his return home, he went to Italy to replace another USSR pilot in Salgareda Air Show. On September 9, during a flight in the show in a Su-27 he started a loop
in a lower altitude than he estimated and made an unintentional touchdown. He had an option to eject from the aircraft, leaving the plane to crash into the crowd, yet he chose not to and died in the crash, saving lives of hundreds of peoples at the show.
Stankevičius is buried in Kaunas
, Lithuania.
Marijampole
Marijampolė is an industrial city and the capital of the Marijampolė County in the south of Lithuania, bordering Poland and Russian Kaliningrad oblast, and Lake Vištytis. The population of Marijampolė is 48,700...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
– September 9, 1990 in Salgareda
Salgareda
Salgareda is a comune in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about 30 km northeast of Venice and about 20 km east of Treviso...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) was a Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n cosmonaut who test flew Soviet space shuttle Buran and its test vehicles. He was killed in a crash of his Su-27 fighter plane during an airshow in Salgareda.
Biography
In 1966 he has graduated from Chernigov Higher Aviation School. After that he served as an USSR pilot in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Turkmenia. In 1975 Stankevičius became a test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
. He has accomplished spin
Spin (flight)
In aviation, a spin is an aggravated stall resulting in autorotation about the spin axis wherein the aircraft follows a corkscrew downward path. Spins can be entered intentionally or unintentionally, from any flight attitude and from practically any airspeed—all that is required is sufficient yaw...
testing of MiG-29. He flew 57 types of aircraft and had over 4000 hours of flying experience. In 1982 he was graded as a 1st class test-pilot.
In 1979 he was assigned to prepare for 11F35 (Buran, USSR space shuttle). In February 1982 he passed all the required exams and became the first Lithuanian cosmonaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
. After September 1984 he trained to fly the space shuttle Buran. Stankevičius accomplished 14 test-flights with Buran's counterpart BTS-02
OK-GLI
The OK-GLI was a test vehicle in the Buran program. It was constructed in 1984, and was used for 25 test flights between 1985 and 1988 before being retired. It is now an exhibition at the Technikmuseum Speyer in Germany.- Construction :The development of the Buran began in the late 1970s as a...
aircraft and 6 taxi tests with Buran. He was both the pilot and the commander of the space shuttle.
In 1990 Rimantas Stankevičius participated the Everett Air Show with a Su-27 fighter jet. Soon after his return home, he went to Italy to replace another USSR pilot in Salgareda Air Show. On September 9, during a flight in the show in a Su-27 he started a loop
Aerobatic maneuver
Aerobatic maneuvers are flight paths putting aircraft in unusual attitudes, in air shows, dog fights or competition aerobatics. Aerobatics can be performed by a single aircraft or in formation with several others...
in a lower altitude than he estimated and made an unintentional touchdown. He had an option to eject from the aircraft, leaving the plane to crash into the crowd, yet he chose not to and died in the crash, saving lives of hundreds of peoples at the show.
Stankevičius is buried in Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania.