Jähn, Sigmund
13 February 1937 (Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz)Description Area
Dr. Sigmund W.P. Jähn performed an apprenticeship as a printer and served in various positions in the National People’s Army of the German Democratic Republic. In 1966 he was delegated to the Gagarin Air Force Academy in Monino (former Soviet Union), from which he graduated in military sciences in 1970. After six years of service in the Air Force of the GDR, he moved to “Star City” near Moscow, where he trained as a cosmonaut from 1976 to 1978. In the framework of the Interkosmos Programme he participated in the Soyuz 31 mission as a research cosmonaut and flew with commander Waleri F. Bykowski to the Soviet space station Saljut 6. The mission lasted from 26August to 3 September, 1978. After this successful spaceflight he was promoted to deputy commander and later commander of space training in the National People’s Army. In 1983 he received a doctorate in long-range Earth observation and remote sensing from the Central Institute for Physics of the Earth in Potsdam. After his retirement with the rank of Major General from the National People’s Army in October 1990, he served as advisor for the training centre for astronauts of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and from 1993 for the ESA MIR missions.
Relations Area
Jähn, Sigmund
13 February 1937 (Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz)Description Area
Dr. Sigmund W.P. Jähn performed an apprenticeship as a printer and served in various positions in the National People’s Army of the German Democratic Republic. In 1966 he was delegated to the Gagarin Air Force Academy in Monino (former Soviet Union), from which he graduated in military sciences in 1970. After six years of service in the Air Force of the GDR, he moved to “Star City” near Moscow, where he trained as a cosmonaut from 1976 to 1978. In the framework of the Interkosmos Programme he participated in the Soyuz 31 mission as a research cosmonaut and flew with commander Waleri F. Bykowski to the Soviet space station Saljut 6. The mission lasted from 26August to 3 September, 1978. After this successful spaceflight he was promoted to deputy commander and later commander of space training in the National People’s Army. In 1983 he received a doctorate in long-range Earth observation and remote sensing from the Central Institute for Physics of the Earth in Potsdam. After his retirement with the rank of Major General from the National People’s Army in October 1990, he served as advisor for the training centre for astronauts of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and from 1993 for the ESA MIR missions.