Ivan Bella

Infobox Astronaut


name =Ivan Bella
type =Cosmonaut
nationality =Slovak
date_birth =25 May 1964
place_birth =Brezno, Czechoslovakia (present Slovakia)
occupation =Pilot
rank =Lieutenant Colonel
selection =1998 Cosmonaut Group
time =7d 21h 56m
mission =Soyuz TM-29
insignia =|

Ivan Bella (b. 25 May1964, Brezno, Czechoslovakia (present Slovakia)) is a Slovak cosmonaut.

He was the first Slovak to enter outer space if not considering U.S. astronaut of Slovak origin Eugene Cernan. He participated in 9 days joined Russian-French-Slovak mission onspacestation Mir in 1999.

He is married and has two children.

Career

*1979-1983 - Military highschool (Vojenskė gymnázium Banská Bystrica)
*1983-1987 - Military Aviation University (Vysoká vojenská letecká škola SNP v Košiciach)
*since 1983 - pilot license, later combat pilot license
*since 1993 - served on 33rd air base flying Mig-21 and Su-22 fighters
*1998-1999 - space mission and training in Russia
*1999 - retired

pace Mission

*23 March 1998 - left for Russia to begin space mission training.
*August 1998 - Bella selected for space flight
*20..28 February 1999 - He flew Soyuz TM-29 in 27th expedition to space station Mir as "a Research Cosmonaut" together with Viktor Michajlovič Afanasiov and Jean-Pierre Haigneré, launched from Baikonur.

External links

* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/international/english/bella_ivan.htm Spacefacts biography of Ivan Bella]