International Space Station Expedition 7 crew commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUO, plans to get married next month while still in orbit. If it happens, the wedding–which would have to take place by proxy–would be a space first. Fort Bend, Texas, County Clerk Dianne Wilson told ARRL that she issued a marriage license July 17 to Malenchenko and Ekaterina Dmitriev.
“The commander, through his attorney Harry Noe, presented communication of his status, proper photo identification and a power of attorney in order for me to issue the license,” she said. “Texas law permits one or both applicants to be absent for the issuance of the marriage license and one or both applicants to be absent from the marriage ceremony by having a proxy stand in for one or both.”
While Wilson said false rumors have been circulating that the wedding has been called off, she has confirmed with the couple’s attorney that the ceremony will take place August 10 in Clear Lake, Texas. There’s no word yet on whether Malenchenko’s crewmate, US astronaut Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, will serve as best man in space.
Wilson said she and her staff celebrated the event with the bride by dressing in red, white and blue and decorating with similarly hued balloons to represent the colors of the Russian, US and Texas flags.
“This is the first time a marriage license has been issued in the world to a person ‘not on this Earth,'” she added. “I had the honor yesterday of meeting the beautiful bride and hope someday to have the honor of meeting the groom.”
The news service Reuters quoted NASA spokesperson Rob Navias as saying that Malenchenko had assured space officials that no ISS resources would be used for the event, so an exchange of vows via telephone may not be possible. Reuters reported that after Malenchenko returns from space in October, the couple have a church wedding in Russia followed by a honeymoon in Australia. Malenchenko is 41; Dmitriev, who lives in the Houston area, is 26.