The 45th anniversary of a Romanian’s first flight into space, celebrated at UNITBV as well
15 May 2026
On 14 May 1981, Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu was successfully participating in the Soiuz-40 mission, complete with his becoming the first Romanian to fly into outer space. Through this achievement, Romania would enter the small group of states that sent people into space, being the 11th country to achieve such a feat.
One of the activities scheduled to mark the 45th celebration of a Romanian’s first flight into space took place on Friday, 15 May 2026, at Transilvania University of Brașov.
The cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu together with a delegation of 14 international guests, renowned specialists and astronauts, had a meeting with the academic community members, students and professors alike. The event was organised with a view to encouraging the young people’s interest in science, technology and aerospace industry, through direct discussions with the experts involved in international projects of space exploration.
The moment when a Romanian first stepped into outer space is one of the most brilliant achievements in the history of Romanian science.