Dumitru Prunariu: "No one would imagine that 20 years, one month and two days after Gagarin's flight, I would become the 'Gagarin of Romania'"

Dumitru Prunariu reflects on his journey from childhood fascination with aviation to becoming Romania's first astronaut. Born in Brașov in 1952, he pursued aeronautical engineering despite his family's lack of connections to aviation. After completing his studies, he joined the Romanian Air Force and volunteered for a space mission, ultimately training in Russia. In May 1981, he flew into space, becoming the 103rd person to do so. Prunariu remains active in space-related initiatives and shares his experiences at international events.