First Ukrainian astronaut Kadenyuk dies

Leonid Kadenyuk, the first astronaut of independent Ukraine, died on Wednesday, January 31, at the age of 67, according to Ukrinform's sources at the National Space Agency of Ukraine.

According to preliminary information, Kadenyuk died suddenly while jogging in the Tsarske Selo neighborhood in Kyiv.

Kadenyuk was born in the village of Klishkivtsi, Chernivtsi region, in a family of teachers on January 28, 1951. In 1995, he was included in a group of astronauts of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. He underwent training for a space flight at NASA on a multi-use U.S. spacecraft as a payload specialist.

From November 19 to December 5, 1997, Kadenyuk performed a space flight aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. During the flight he carried out biological experiments that were related to plants.

Kadenyuk is the author of five scientific works. Last year he published a book entitled "Mission - Space."

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