Hermaszewski flew into space as part of the Soviet Union’s Intercosmos program that allowed countries in the then-Eastern block to explore space
Poland´s first and only cosmonaut Gen Mirosław Hermaszewski died in the hospital after medical complications on Monday, December 12. According to a report by the Guardian, Hermaszewski was a national hero after he circled the Earth in 1978. Hermaszewski made this journey on board the Soyuz 30 spacecraft as part of the Soviet Intercosmos programme.
The announcement of his death was made by his son Ryszard Czarnecki, European Parliament member on Twitter, the report said. Czarnecki later told the local media that Hermaszewski died in Warsaw due to complications from surgery.
Czarnecki also posted a message that stated, “On behalf of the family, I’m confirming the very sad news about the death of Gen Mirosław Hermaszewski, a great pilot, good husband and father, and much beloved grandfather”, the report said.
Hermaszewski was the second person who flew to space as a part of the Soviet Intercosmos programme. The program allowed countries in the then-Eastern block to explore space and Hermaszewski was the second person from the block to achieve this.
The first was Vladimír Remek of then-Czechoslovakia, who took off in March 1978. Following him, it was Hermaszewski´s, while the third was Sigmund Jähn of then-East Germany. All three of them had been trained at the Star City space flight preparation facility outside Moscow and traveled to space in the same year, the report said.
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