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Zhugderdemidiyn GurragchaZhugderdemidiyn Gurragcha, aka Gurragcha Sansar (born December 5, 1947) was the first Mongolian cosmonaut and the second Asian in space. He was Mongolia's defense minister from 2000 to 2004. Born in Gurvan-Bulak, Mongolia, Gurragcha studied in Ulan Bator to become an aerospace engineer. He then joined the air force, rising to the rank of Major General. He was selected as part of the eight international programme for Intercosmos on March 1, 1978. His backup cosmonaut was Maidarzhavyn Ganzorig. Gurragcha, along with Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov, from Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 22, 1981. They docked with Salyut 6. While in orbit, Dzhanibekov and Gurragcha carried out experiments on earth science. After 124 orbits and 7 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes in space, Gurragcha and Dzhanibekov landed 170 km southeast of Dzheskasgan. Before becoming minister of defense, Gurragcha worked as chief of a scientific institute in Ulan Bator. He is married and has one child. After Mongolia removed the Communist-era ban on surnames in 1997, and after failing to locate his original family name, Gurragcha chose the surname Sansar - Mongolian for "cosmos". Gurragcha, Zhugderdemidiyn Gurragcha, Zhugderdemidiyn
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