Valentin Bondarenko | |
|---|---|
| Валентин Бондаренко | |
 | |
| Born | Valentin Vasilyevich Bondarenko 16 February 1937 |
| Died | 23 March 1961 (aged 24) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Soviet |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Awards | Order of the Red Star |
| Space career | |
| Cosmonaut | |
| Rank | Senior lieutenant, Soviet Air Forces |
| Selection | Soviet Air Force Group 1 |
Valentin Vasilyevich Bondarenko (Russian: Валентин Васильевич Бондаренко; Ukrainian: Валентин Васильович Бондаренко; 16 February 1937 – 23 March 1961) was a Soviet fighter pilot selected in 1960 for training as a cosmonaut. He died as the result of burns sustained in a fire during a 15-day low-pressure endurance experiment in Moscow. The Soviet government concealed the death, along with Bondarenko's membership in the cosmonaut corps, until 1980. A crater on the Moon's far side is named after him.