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There are only about 20 people who gave their lives for the benefit of world progress in the field of space exploration, and today we will tell you about them.
Their names are immortalized in the ashes of cosmic chronos, burned into the atmospheric memory of the universe forever, many of us would dream of remaining heroes for humanity, however, few would want to accept such a death as our cosmonaut heroes.
The 20th century was a breakthrough in mastering the path to the vastness of the Universe; in the second half of the 20th century, after much preparation, man was finally able to fly into space. However, there was also back side such rapid progress - death of astronauts.
People died during pre-flight preparations, during takeoff spaceship, upon landing. Total at space launches, preparations for flights, including cosmonauts and technical personnel who died in the atmosphere More than 350 people died, about 170 astronauts alone.
Let us list the names of the cosmonauts who died during the operation of spacecraft (the USSR and the whole world, in particular America), and then we will briefly tell the story of their death.
Not a single cosmonaut died directly in Space; most of them all died in the Earth’s atmosphere, during the destruction or fire of the ship (the Apollo 1 astronauts died while preparing for the first manned flight).
Volkov, Vladislav Nikolaevich (“Soyuz-11”)
Dobrovolsky, Georgy Timofeevich (“Soyuz-11”)
Komarov, Vladimir Mikhailovich (“Soyuz-1”)
Patsaev, Viktor Ivanovich (“Soyuz-11”)
Anderson, Michael Phillip ("Columbia")
Brown, David McDowell (Columbia)
Grissom, Virgil Ivan (Apollo 1)
Jarvis, Gregory Bruce (Challenger)
Clark, Laurel Blair Salton ("Columbia")
McCool, William Cameron ("Columbia")
McNair, Ronald Erwin (Challenger)
McAuliffe, Christa ("Challenger")
Onizuka, Allison (Challenger)
Ramon, Ilan ("Columbia")
Resnick, Judith Arlen (Challenger)
Scobie, Francis Richard ("Challenger")
Smith, Michael John ("Challenger")
White, Edward Higgins (Apollo 1)
Husband, Rick Douglas ("Columbia")
Chawla, Kalpana (Columbia)
Chaffee, Roger (Apollo 1)
It is worth considering that we will never know the stories of the death of some astronauts, because this information is secret.
Soyuz-1 disaster
“Soyuz-1 is the first Soviet manned spacecraft (KK) of the Soyuz series. Launched into orbit on April 23, 1967. There was one cosmonaut on board Soyuz-1 - Hero Soviet Union engineer-colonel V.M. Komarov, who died during the landing of the descent module. Komarov’s backup in preparation for this flight was Yu. A. Gagarin.”
Soyuz-1 was supposed to dock with Soyuz-2 to return the crew of the first ship, but due to problems, the launch of Soyuz-2 was canceled.
After entering orbit, problems began with the operation of the solar battery; after unsuccessful attempts to launch it, it was decided to lower the ship to Earth.
But during the descent, 7 km from the ground, the parachute system failed, the ship hit the ground at a speed of 50 km per hour, tanks with hydrogen peroxide exploded, the cosmonaut died instantly, Soyuz-1 almost completely burned out, the remains of the cosmonaut were severely burned so that it was impossible to identify even fragments of the body.
“This disaster was the first time a person died in flight in the history of manned astronautics.”
The causes of the tragedy have never been fully established.
Soyuz-11 disaster
Soyuz 11 is a spacecraft whose crew of three cosmonauts died in 1971. The cause of death was the depressurization of the descent module during the landing of the ship.
Just a couple of years after the death of Yu. A. Gagarin (the famous cosmonaut himself died in a plane crash in 1968), having already followed the seemingly well-trodden path of conquest of outer space, several more cosmonauts passed away.
Soyuz-11 was supposed to deliver the crew to the Salyut-1 orbital station, but the ship was unable to dock due to damage to the docking unit.
Crew composition:
Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Georgy Dobrovolsky
Flight engineer: Vladislav Volkov
Research engineer: Viktor Patsayev
They were between 35 and 43 years old. All of them were posthumously awarded awards, certificates, and orders.
It was never possible to establish what happened, why the spacecraft was depressurized, but most likely this information will not be given to us. But it’s a pity that at that time our cosmonauts were “guinea pigs” who were released into space without much security or security after the dogs. However, probably many of those who dreamed of becoming astronauts understood what a dangerous profession they were choosing.
Docking occurred on June 7, undocking on June 29, 1971. Was unsuccessful attempt docking with the Salyut-1 orbital station, the crew was able to board the Salyut-1, even stayed on board for several days orbital station, a TV connection was established, but already during the first approach to the station, the cosmonauts noticed some smoke. On the 11th day, a fire started, the crew decided to descend on the ground, but problems emerged that disrupted the undocking process. Spacesuits were not provided for the crew.
On June 29 at 21.25 the ship separated from the station, but a little more than 4 hours later contact with the crew was lost. The main parachute was deployed, the ship landed in a given area, and the soft landing engines fired. But the search team discovered at 02.16 (June 30, 1971) the lifeless bodies of the crew; resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
During the investigation, it was found that the cosmonauts tried to eliminate the leak until the last minute, but they mixed up the valves, fought for the wrong one, and meanwhile missed the opportunity for salvation. They died from decompression sickness - air bubbles were found during autopsy even in the heart valves.
The exact reasons for the depressurization of the ship have not been named, or rather, they have not been announced to the general public.
Subsequently, engineers and creators of spacecraft, crew commanders took into account many tragic mistakes of previous unsuccessful flights into space.
Challenger shuttle disaster
“The Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger, at the very beginning of mission STS-51L, was destroyed by the explosion of its external fuel tank 73 seconds into flight, resulting in the death of all 7 crew members. The crash occurred at 11:39 EST (16:39 UTC) over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of central Florida, USA."
In the photo, the ship's crew - from left to right: McAuliffe, Jarvis, Resnik, Scobie, McNair, Smith, Onizuka
All of America was waiting for this launch, millions of eyewitnesses and viewers watched the launch of the ship on TV, it was the culmination of the Western conquest of space. And so, when the grand launch of the ship took place, seconds later, a fire began, later an explosion, the shuttle cabin separated from the destroyed ship and fell at a speed of 330 km per hour on the surface of the water, seven days later the astronauts would be found in the broken cabin at the bottom of the ocean. Until the last moment, before hitting the water, some crew members were alive and tried to supply air to the cabin.
There is an excerpt in the video below the article live broadcast with the launch and death of the shuttle.
“The Challenger shuttle crew consisted of seven people. Its composition was as follows:
The crew commander is 46-year-old Francis “Dick” R. Scobee. US military pilot, US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, NASA astronaut.
The co-pilot is 40-year-old Michael J. Smith. Test pilot, US Navy captain, NASA astronaut.
The scientific specialist is 39-year-old Ellison S. Onizuka. Test pilot, Lieutenant Colonel of the US Air Force, NASA astronaut.
The scientific specialist is 36-year-old Judith A. Resnick. Engineer and NASA astronaut. Spent 6 days 00 hours 56 minutes in space.
The scientific specialist is 35-year-old Ronald E. McNair. Physicist, NASA astronaut.
The payload specialist is 41-year-old Gregory B. Jarvis. Engineer and NASA astronaut.
The payload specialist is 37-year-old Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe. A teacher from Boston who won the competition. For her, this was her first flight into space as the first participant in the “Teacher in Space” project.”
Last photo of the crew
To establish the causes of the tragedy, various commissions were created, but most of the information was classified; according to assumptions, the reasons for the ship’s crash were poor interaction between organizational services, irregularities in the operation of the fuel system that were not detected in time (the explosion occurred at launch due to the burnout of the wall of the solid fuel accelerator), and even. terrorist attack Some said that the shuttle explosion was staged to harm America's prospects.
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
“The Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, shortly before the end of its 28th flight (mission STS-107). The final flight of the space shuttle Columbia began on January 16, 2003. On the morning of February 1, 2003, after a 16-day flight, the shuttle was returning to Earth.
NASA lost contact with the craft at approximately 14:00 GMT (09:00 EST), 16 minutes before its intended landing on Runway 33 at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which was scheduled to take place at 14:16 GMT. Eyewitnesses filmed burning debris from the shuttle flying at an altitude of about 63 kilometers at a speed of 5.6 km/s. All 7 crew members were killed."
Crew pictured - From top to bottom: Chawla, Husband, Anderson, Clark, Ramon, McCool, Brown
The Columbia shuttle was making its next 16-day flight, which was supposed to end with a landing on Earth, however, as the main version of the investigation says, the shuttle was damaged during the launch - a piece of torn off thermal insulating foam (the coating was intended to protect tanks with oxygen and hydrogen) as a result of the impact, damaged the wing coating, as a result of which, during the descent of the apparatus, when the heaviest loads on the body occur, the apparatus began to overheat and, subsequently, destruction.
Even during the shuttle mission, engineers more than once turned to NASA management to assess the damage and visually inspect the shuttle body using orbital satellites, but NASA experts assured that there were no fears or risks and the shuttle would descend safely to Earth.
“The crew of the shuttle Columbia consisted of seven people. Its composition was as follows:
The crew commander is 45-year-old Richard “Rick” D. Husband. US military pilot, US Air Force colonel, NASA astronaut. Spent 25 days 17 hours 33 minutes in space. Before Columbia, he was commander of the shuttle STS-96 Discovery.
The co-pilot is 41-year-old William "Willie" C. McCool. Test pilot, NASA astronaut. Spent 15 days 22 hours 20 minutes in space.
The flight engineer is 40-year-old Kalpana Chawla. Scientist, first female NASA astronaut of Indian origin. Spent 31 days, 14 hours and 54 minutes in space.
The payload specialist is 43-year-old Michael P. Anderson. Scientist, NASA astronaut. Spent 24 days 18 hours 8 minutes in space.
Zoology specialist - 41-year-old Laurel B. S. Clark. US Navy captain, NASA astronaut. Spent 15 days 22 hours 20 minutes in space.
Scientific specialist (doctor) - 46-year-old David McDowell Brown. Test pilot, NASA astronaut. Spent 15 days 22 hours 20 minutes in space.
The scientific specialist is 48-year-old Ilan Ramon (English Ilan Ramon, Hebrew.אילן רמון). NASA's first Israeli astronaut. Spent 15 days 22 hours 20 minutes in space.”
The shuttle's descent took place on February 1, 2003, and within an hour it was supposed to land on Earth.
“On February 1, 2003, at 08:15:30 (EST), the space shuttle Columbia began its descent to Earth. At 08:44 the shuttle began to enter the dense layers of the atmosphere." However, due to damage, the leading edge of the left wing began to overheat. From 08:50, the ship's hull suffered severe thermal loads; at 08:53, debris began to fall off the wing, but the crew was alive and there was still communication.
At 08:59:32 the commander sent the last message, which was interrupted mid-sentence. At 09:00, eyewitnesses had already filmed the explosion of the shuttle, the ship collapsed into many fragments. that is, the fate of the crew was predetermined due to NASA’s inaction, but the destruction itself and the loss of life occurred in a matter of seconds.
It is worth noting that the Columbia shuttle was used many times, at the time of its death the ship was 34 years old (in operation by NASA since 1979, the first manned flight in 1981), it flew into space 28 times, but this flight turned out to be fatal.
No one died in space itself; about 18 people died in the dense layers of the atmosphere and in spaceships.
In addition to the disasters of 4 ships (two Russian - "Soyuz-1" and "Soyuz-11" and American - "Columbia" and "Challenger"), in which 18 people died, there were several more disasters due to an explosion, fire during pre-flight preparation , one of the most famous tragedies is a fire in an atmosphere of pure oxygen during preparation for the Apollo 1 flight, then three American astronauts died, and in a similar situation, a very young USSR cosmonaut, Valentin Bondarenko, died. The astronauts simply burned alive.
Another NASA astronaut, Michael Adams, died while testing the X-15 rocket plane.
Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin died in an unsuccessful flight on an airplane during a routine training session.
Probably, the goal of the people who stepped into space was grandiose, and it is not a fact that even knowing their fate, many would have renounced astronautics, but still we always need to remember at what cost the path to the stars was paved for us...
In the photo there is a monument to the fallen astronauts on the Moon
The question of the existence of life on other planets has been tormenting the minds of scientists and common man. Previously, space seemed to be something mysterious and unknown, mysterious and inexplicable. With the development of technology, this mystery is still being successfully solved. It all started with the launch of the first satellite into orbit, which made it possible to obtain data on high layers atmosphere. Another giant leap in space exploration is the study of the nearest celestial body - the Moon. But the most memorable and large-scale event in the whole world is the first flight into space. Cosmonauts are a category of people that always evoke awe and delight. They see the incredible beauty of planet Earth. And who, if not they, can say what the Universe is? So who are they - Russian cosmonauts, and what secrets does space hide?
The need for space exploration
Modern navigators, satellite dishes and television seem ordinary and everyday, but this became possible only thanks to space exploration. His energy is colossal; it has enormous potential for the development of all spheres of life on the planet. Below are the most important aspects in the need to study the Universe:
- Weather forecasting. The Met Office provides weather reports every day across the country. Heavy rains, heavy snowfall, raging winds or calm windless weather - all this is predicted by data from space, thanks to which safety measures can be taken in time in case of emergency.
- In addition to planets, the expanses of the Universe are plowed by the remains of once-existing stars, comets, asteroids, and meteorites. Their trajectory is unpredictable and their composition is unknown. Free wandering in the vastness of the Universe and the likelihood of their collision with the Earth can be monitored using special equipment in observatories and catastrophes on a global scale can be prevented in time.
- Space exploration is important for the security of a country. Missiles, torpedoes or other weapons can cause significant harm to residents or the settlement as a whole. To prevent this, special satellites are used to monitor outer space and take action in the event of an attack.
- Asteroids are rich in rare precious metals: platinum, gold, silver. Modern equipment allows them to be extracted, thereby affecting the Earth in smaller quantities and allowing its integrity to be preserved.
- Information for planes, ships, cars comes directly from space. This allows you to plot the correct route and see in time an obstacle that interferes with movement.
- The environmental situation is one of the most important problems in modern times. Waste from plastic, household chemicals, and metal production takes up huge areas on the planet and causes significant harm. environment and human health. Exploring outer space for waste disposal will help solve this global problem.
These important components are of great importance for the development of all spheres of human activity. The space of outer space is unique, vast and fraught with many interesting things. And it is necessary to study it.
First steps in the field of astronautics
For the first time, the USSR decided to find out what was beyond the planet. On October 4, 1957, the first satellite was launched - PS-1 (stands for Simplest Sputnik-1). Many scientists and designers worked on the creation of the satellite, including Mikhail Klavdievich Tikhonravov, who developed the satellite, and Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, who created the launch vehicle. It was he who launched the satellite into orbit.
PS-1: flight results and significance for the country
PS-1 was launched from the Research Institute of Test Site No. 5 (now Baikonur). 4 hours after launch, the satellite gave a signal; it was heard for several minutes, after which it disappeared into outer space. The device successfully reached orbit and moved along it for about three months, completing more than 1,400 revolutions around the Earth. But at some point the fuel supply system failed, which led to malfunctions in one of the engines. Because of this, the satellite began to descend and burned up in the atmosphere. And yet the launch of the first Earth satellite is the most grandiose event in the whole world. This marked the beginning of the space race between the two superpowers - the USSR and the USA.
Satellite flight results:
- Successful testing technical condition device and checking the calculations for its launch.
- The ability to study the ionosphere using radio waves coming from a satellite from space and passing through the atmosphere.
- Study of the upper layers of the atmosphere. Data can be obtained by observing the vehicle and its speed as it rubs against the atmosphere.
PS-1 was simple in its design; it did not have special sensors, but despite this, scientists obtained important data about the Earth’s atmosphere, which is necessary in the study of the planet.
Laika in space
Before cosmonauts from Russia, the USSR and other countries began to explore space, dogs were the first to enter the vastness of the Universe. In November 1957, the astronaut dog Laika flew into space. In the device where Laika was flying, special sensors were installed to monitor the dog’s well-being. In addition, there was an automatic power supply and a special installation for saturating the cabin with oxygen and removing carbon dioxide. The device with the dog on board had already been on the way for several hours when it died from overheating due to an undeveloped thermal regulation system.
Belka and Strelka
On August 19, 1960, the Sputnik 5 spacecraft was launched with the dogs Belka and Strelka. As in the case of the Laika, everything necessary was installed in the cockpit, but sad experience showed that improvement of previous shortcomings was required. The dogs endured the flight calmly, without visible deviations from the norm. The flight was recorded on film, where all comments and deviations could later be viewed.
At the appointed time, the device with dogs on board landed successfully. After the examination they felt satisfactory.
Animals in the vastness of the Universe: contribution to the development of astronautics
The flight of Belka and Strelka into space left an indelible mark on the exploration of outer space. The data obtained from the flight of dogs shows that a person can fly around the Earth, but with fewer revolutions. And a few months later, the first man flies into space - Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin.
Human space flight
This event became significant throughout the world. Unprecedented discoveries have been made in this area that have made it possible to take humans into outer space. And this happened on April 12, 1961. The first person in the world to fly into space was Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin. He was born on March 9, 1934 in the small village of Klushino.
In 1945, the whole family moved to Gzhatsk (which was later renamed in honor of the astronaut). In 1951 he became a student at Saratov industrial technical school and, having joined an amateur flying club in 1954, makes his first flight on an airplane. This predetermined his future life. As a future cosmonaut, Yuri underwent constant medical examinations and rigorous training. In parallel with this, the Vostok-1 ship, on which the flight will be carried out, was being developed to perfection.
On April 12, 1961, a spaceship with a man on board launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The flight itself lasted less than two hours, the device made one revolution around the planet. At the beginning of the flight, the ship gained a slightly higher altitude than planned. But a special coating prevented the device from burning out in the upper layers of the atmosphere. In general, the flight went smoothly, without any incidents.
But when the ship was descending for landing, problems occurred in the braking system, so the device landed further than planned. Nevertheless, Yuri Gagarin successfully completed the mission. The astronaut was greeted with honors by his family and the country's top leadership. Subsequently he traveled to different countries, where he was warmly received. Nowadays, April 12 is celebrated as Cosmonautics Day, and Yu. A. Gagarin will forever be remembered as the first person to fly into space.
Further exploration of outer space
After Yuri Gagarin's flight, cosmonauts from Russia and other countries actively explored space. During the flights, unique data about the planet was obtained, and extensive research was carried out on the influence of space on daily life earthlings, many discoveries have been made in this area.
The cosmonauts of the USSR and Russia made a special contribution to the development of this field. A list and photos of them are presented to your attention:
- Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin. He flew on April 12, 1961, the first man in space in human history.
- German Stepanovich Titov, who flew on August 6, 1961. The first cosmonaut to spend 24 hours in zero gravity.
- Nikolaev Andriyan Grigorievich, who made his first flight on August 11, 1962.
- Popovich Pavel Romanovich. The flight took place on August 12, 1962. This is the world's first flight of two ships (together with Nikolaev A.G.).
- Bykovsky Valery Fedorovich. The first flight took place on June 14, 1963.
- Kaleri Alexander Yurievich. He flew on March 17, 1992 as a flight engineer on the Soyuz TM-24 spacecraft.
This list is very long, and this is only a small part of it. In fact, there are a lot of astronauts. This once again shows that space was actively studied at that time. This made a significant contribution to the development of astronautics and aviation.
Russia in space exploration
In modern times, outer space is studied more specifically. The latest technologies make it possible to obtain more accurate data; calculations are carried out on powerful computers in literally a matter of seconds. By the way, in the USSR it took more than an hour. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky is one of the first scientists who proposed using a rocket engine for speed spacecraft. Now it has been brought to perfection. Cosmonauts of the USSR and Russia, as well as other countries, must know all the intricacies of the ship, its structure, and capabilities. It is important to be able to behave in certain circumstances.
Below is a small list of Russian cosmonauts in chronological order who flew into space:
- Kaleri Alexander Yurievich. On March 17, 1992, he made his first flight as a flight engineer on the Soyuz TM-24 spacecraft.
- Avdeev Sergey Vasilievich. On July 27, 1992, he went into space as a flight engineer on the Soyuz TM-15 spacecraft.
- Poleshchuk Alexander Fedorovich. The flight took place on January 24, 1993 on the Soyuz TM-16.
- Vasily Vasilievich Tsibliev flew into space on July 1, 1993.
These are the well-known Russian cosmonauts. Photos of some of them are presented in this article.
Women in space
You can find information about astronauts in any source. Outstanding people who left a huge mark on history are Russian cosmonauts. The list and photos, years of life of these people - information that is freely available. And now we will talk about the fair sex in astronautics. Even in Soviet times, cosmonauts were seen as something “transcendental,” “heavenly.” Children of that time dreamed of stars and actively studied this science. It must be said that many have achieved significant success in this area, as evidenced by their names, which are on everyone’s lips.
It always seemed that Russian cosmonauts were purely men. After successful flights, they decided to launch the first woman into space. And this woman was Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova. She came from a simple family. His father, a tractor driver, died in the war in 1939, his mother was a textile factory worker. The girl was gifted; science was easy for her at school. IN free time she played the domra.
Growing up, Valentina became interested in parachuting, and this played in her favor when choosing candidates for space flight. She made her first flight on June 16, 1963 from Baikonur on the Vostok-6 ship. Overall, the flight, which lasted three days, went well. Despite feeling unwell, the female cosmonaut completed the task (keeping a logbook and taking photos of the planet’s horizon).
Other female cosmonauts of Russia and the USSR who left their mark on history:
- Svetlana Evgenievna Savitskaya. In August 1984, she made her first flight on the Soyuz T-7 spacecraft, and in 1984 she became the world's first woman to go into outer space.
- Elena Vladimirovna Kondakova. The first flight took place in early October 1994 on the Soyuz TM-20 spacecraft. This is the world's first female astronaut who has been in space for a long time - 179 days.
- Serova Elena Olegovna. She made her first flight on September 26, 2014 on the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft as a flight engineer.
As you can see, there are not as many representatives of the fairer sex as there are men. But all training, tasks, loads were carried out on an equal basis with colleagues. Perseverance, perseverance, willpower, the ability to set a goal and achieve it - these are the qualities that Russian cosmonauts fully possess. The list of these qualities is replenished with each test passed for them. Despite the difficulties, they managed to conquer space and leave their mark on human history.
By a resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1959, a decision was made on the selection and preparation of cosmonauts for the first flight on the Vostok spacecraft. The Center of the Military Research National Hospital was entrusted with this task. It was decided to select from fighter pilots, since they were assumed to have the most suitable characteristics for this purpose. The selection was strict both according to medical criteria and physical characteristics - the candidate should not be older than 35 years, height up to 175 cm and weight up to 75 kg. No one was told why they were being selected; it was reported that they were allegedly testing new equipment.
The commission received 3,461 applications from pilots and selected 347 people for the initial interview. Since the medical examination was very thorough, and the upcoming loads were serious, not everyone decided to become astronauts, and 72 pilots refused to participate in the program. 206 people were cleared for further testing. Only 29 people were able to complete all stages of the medical examination.
A squad preparing for a flight into space. (wikimedia.org)
Sitting in the photo (from left to right): P. Popovich, V. Gorbatko, S. Khrunov, Yu. Gagarin, S. Korolev, N. Koroleva with Popovich’s daughter Natasha, 1st Head of the Cosmonaut Training Center E. Karpov, N. Nikitin , head of department of TsNIIAC E. Fedorov. Middle row: A. Leonov, A. Nikolaev, M. Rafikov, D. Zaikin, B. Volynov, G. Titov, G. Nelyubov, V. Bykovsky, G. Shonin. Top row: V. Filatiev, I. Anikeev, P. Belyaev.
On January 11, 1960, a special Military Unit 26266, which is now the Cosmonaut Training Center. Colonel of the medical service Evgeny Karpov was appointed head. And the future cosmonauts formed Air Force Group No. 1.
The first cosmonaut squad
On March 7, 1960, 12 people were enrolled in the first cosmonaut corps: Yuri Gagarin, Valery Bykovsky, Ivan Anikeev, Boris Volynov, Viktor Gorbatko, Vladimir Komarov, Alexei Leonov, Grigory Nelyubov, Andriyan Nikolaev, German Titov, Georgy Shonin and Pavel Popovich. Later they were joined by 8 more pilots: Dmitry Zaikin, Evgeny Khrunov, Valentin Filatiev, Valentin Varlamov, Valentin Bondarenko, Pavel Belyaev, Mars Rafikov and Anatoly Kartashov. For training, they invited the pilot who saved the Chelyuskinites, a Hero of the Soviet Union and a participant in the Great Patriotic War Nikolai Kamanin.
By April 1961, three were selected for the flight: Titov, Gagarin and Nelyubov. They recorded the appeal of the first cosmonauts to to the Soviet people and on April 12, all three were at Baikonur. Titov was Gagarin's backup; Nelyubov was supposed to replace his comrades in the event of force majeure.
Gagarin at Baikonur before his flight. (wikimedia.org)
Nelyubov never flew into space. Due to his hot temper, he was expelled from the unit and ended his life very sadly - in 1966, while drunk, he was hit by a train.
This is not the only time when the life of cosmonauts from the first detachment was tragically cut short. Gagarin crashed during an unsuccessful training flight on an airplane in 1968; a year earlier, Vladimir Komarov died during the landing of the Soyuz-1 spacecraft.
Valentin Bondarenko. Astronaut who died in a fire
G. Titov and A. Nikolaev during training, 1964. (wikimedia.org)
The youngest member of the squad, Valentin Bondarenko, burned down in a pressure chamber. On March 23, 1961, he completed his 10-day stay in the cell and, after wiping the areas on his body where the sensors were attached, with alcohol, he threw away the cotton wool. It hit the hot spiral and burst into flames; rather, the entire chamber was filled with fire. When Bondarenko was taken out, his body was badly burned. Doctors tried to save the astronaut, but to no avail.
"East" program
Most of those who never flew into space continued their careers in aviation or remained working in the space field. The same 12, who were lucky enough to become the first cosmonauts, made flights in this order:
According to the “East” program: Yuri Gagarin April 12, 1961, German Titov August 6−7, 1961, Andriyan Nikolaev August 11−15, 1962, Pavel Popovich August 12−15, 1962, Valery Bykovsky June 14−19, 1963.
According to the Voskhod program: Vladimir Komarov October 12, 1964, Pavel Belyaev and Alexey Leonov March 18-19, 1965.
Under the Soyuz program: Boris Volynov and Evgeny Khrunov January 15−18, 1969, Georgy Shonin October 11−16, 1969, Viktor Gorbatko October 12−17, 1969.
V. Volkov and V. Gorbatko during training. (wikimedia.org)
It so happened that Gorbatko was the last of the squad to fly into space for the first time. However, unlike the others, who had only one or two flights, Viktor Gorbatko, like Valery Bykovsky, was lucky enough to fly into space three times - also on February 7-25, 1977 on Soyuz-24 and July 23-31, 1980 on Soyuz-37. Two years after his third flight, Gorbatko retired, like many of his comrades in the early 80s. Boris Volynov had the longest experience among the members of the first detachment; he served until 1990, giving 30 years to space. Together with Valery Bykovsky and the first man to walk into outer space, Alexei Leonov, Volynov remains one of the living members of the first cosmonaut corps of the USSR.
The Magnificent Twenty How the fates of the first Soviet cosmonauts turned outAlmost 55 years ago, on March 7, 1960, the first cosmonaut squad was formed, which included 12 people. Then - at the end of March, in April and in June - 8 more people were included in it. This magnificent twenty was formed from jet pilots from combat units of the Air Force, Air Defense and Navy.
Before the start
It was clear even before the launch of the first satellite that, given a certain state of rocket technology, a person would be sent into space. The solution to this problem began in earnest in 1958, when a pilot project was initiated to create a ship for human flight. At the same time, work began at the Institute of Aviation Medicine to select cosmonauts, and a little later, to prepare them for the first space flight.
The selection began in the spring of 1959 with a study of the medical books of military pilots. Applicants were not only subject to the most stringent health requirements, but they also had to comply with a certain “format.” Not older than 35 years. Not taller than 175 cm and not heavier than 75 kg.
After reviewing the medical records of 3,461 people, 347 people were selected for the next stage - interviews. At the interview, in accordance with the requirements of increased secrecy, they asked: “Do you want to fly on new technology?. And at the same time they looked so meaningfully that the subject understood everything. The applicant was forbidden to disclose even the fact of participation in the interview.
The vast majority agreed. But after a medical check in the usual garrison hospital, 206 people remained “in the saddle.” Then a simple test followed - for several months the subjects waited for a call to the next stage of the test. And 52 people reconsidered their intentions. Thus, the number of candidates was reduced to 154 people.
Finally, a state commission was approved, which included the largest experts in the field of medicine, including three academicians. The selection was carried out by a team in which all medical professions were represented, including dentists.
This time, the candidates were not only tested, but also subjected to rigorous tests in a centrifuge with a long-term overload of up to 12 g. In a pressure chamber, where they not only pumped out air to a “height” of 5 and 10 km, but also required the future cosmonaut to perform certain work. They shook it on a vibration stand, rotated it in a wheel, and tested the vegetative system on a parallel swing. And much, much more that only a person with phenomenal health can withstand. So, for example, with a load of 10g, their pulse did not exceed 120 beats/min.
But most of those rejected were during psychological tests of astronaut candidates. Because they had to be perfect people, without the slightest flaws. Here many parameters were assessed: resistance to stress, reaction speed, memory, ability to learn and self-learn, type of higher education. nervous activity, concentration of attention, “interference immunity”, ability to endure difficulties, deprivations and restrictions, self-criticism, reliability of actions in critical situations, fearlessness, team relationships, sense of humor...
Well, and, of course, a high moral and ideological level and universal human maturity. It was impossible in the Soviet Union without ideology, expressed in love for the native CPSU.
In February 1960, 29 out of 154 people passed the entire complex of grueling checks.
9 of them were subsequently eliminated without explanation. It can be assumed that the special department spotted some wormholes in their biographies.
As a result, 20 supermen were accepted into the first cosmonaut corps:
1. Ivan Anikeev (1933 – 1992)
2. Pavel Belyaev (1925 – 1970)
3. Valentin Bondarenko (1937 – 1961)
4. Valery Bykovsky (1934)
5. Valentin Varlamov (1934 – 1980)
6. Boris Volynov (1934)
7. Yuri Gagarin (1934 – 1968)
8. Victor Gorbatko (1934)
9. Dmitry Zaikin (1932 – 2013)
10. Anatoly Kartashov (1932 – 2005)
11. Vladimir Komarov (1927 – 1967)
12. Alexey Leonov (1934)
13. Grigory Nelyubov (1934 – 1966)
14. Andriyan Nikolaev (1929 – 2004)
15. Pavel Popovich (1930 – 2009)
16. Mars Rafikov (1933 – 2000)
17. German Titov (1935 – 2000)
18. Valentin Filatiev (1930 – 1990)
19. Evgeny Khrunov (1933 – 2000)
20. Georgy Shonin (1935 – 1997)
During the flight
The cosmonaut corps began to lose people even before the first flight into space, which was made on April 12, 1961 by Yuri Gagarin.
On March 23, Valentin Bondarenko died from a fire in a pressure chamber filled with oxygen. A piece of cotton wool soaked in alcohol caught fire on a hot coil in a fatal manner. Which, undoubtedly, is an unforgivable miscalculation of the equipment developers and specialists who conducted the experiment.
The remaining cases of elimination are not so tragic, but they also demonstrate how difficult the path was, first elected Soviet cosmonauts.
In March 1961, during training, Valentin Varlamov injured his cervical vertebrae. And he was expelled from the squad. At the same time, he was transferred to work as an instructor in Star City. His life ended tragically in 1980 - during the renovation of his apartment - he fell and hit his temple on the bed.
The second to leave the detachment a week before Gagarin’s flight was Anatoly Kartashov. After training in a centrifuge, he developed bruises, which was sufficient for culling.
After 8 years, Dmitry Zaikin, who was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer, was written off.
In addition to expulsions for health reasons, there were also disciplinary ones. Since life in the detachment was not much different from being kept in a comfortable prison. In 1962, Mars Rafikov was expelled from the cosmonauts for “AWOL.” A year later, Ivan Anikeev, Grigory Nelyubov and Valentin Filatyev, being drunk, had a fair amount of conflict with a military patrol in Kaliningrad near Moscow (now Korolev).
The remaining 12 people flew into space. Moreover, some of them were enough not only for the first space program “Vostok”, but also for two more - “Voskhod” and “Soyuz”, which stretched over time for many years. The most “cosmic long-liver” from the first detachment was Valery Gorbatko. He made three flights. The third was on the Soyuz-37 spacecraft in 1980. When many of those with whom he started were no longer alive.
Statistics on the number of flights were distributed in this way.
1st flight – 5 people: Gagarin, Titov, Belyaev, Khrunov, Shonin.
2 flights – 5 people: Nikolaev, Popovich, Komarov, Leonov, Volynov.
3 flights – 2 people: Bykovsky, Gorbatko.
The second flight of Vladimir Komarov on April 24, 1967 on Soyuz 1 ended tragically. During landing, the main parachute of the descent module did not work, and the ship crashed at the moment of landing.
But the loss could have been much greater. Because the probability that Gagarin’s flight would end safely did not exceed 50%. As evidenced, for example, by the statistics of dog flights into space, which was kept silent in the USSR. Only half survived. But, despite this, Gagarin was launched. In a hurry. Because they were afraid that the Americans would get ahead of the Soviet Union.
One orbit around the Earth was the most severe test for Gagarin. Having easily survived the starting overloads and the period of weightlessness, he was on the verge of death when the trajectory decreased. Upon re-entry, the ship's thermal insulation burned unevenly. Which led to a strong and uneven rotation of the ship. Enormous overloads arose. After Gagarin ejected at an altitude of 20 kilometers, where the temperature was minus 60, the valve of the gearbox that supplied oxygen to the spacesuit from a cylinder froze. Gagarin began to choke. Lost consciousness. Fortunately, after some time the gearbox started working, and this saved the first cosmonaut from death.
Before the next launches, the necessary adjustments were made to the design of the spacesuit. And with subsequent Vostok launches, the risk decreased. But it didn't disappear completely.
What made these people not only endure enormous loads while in the detachment, but also risk their lives in flight?
During the selection process, the motivation of each of them was determined. In the characteristics, naturally, as was customary in those days, something was written about “love for the Motherland” and “the desire to bring the greatest possible benefit to the fatherland.” And, I must say, this was not an entirely empty phrase, although it was formulated in a caricature-clichéd manner. Undoubtedly, they were not devoid of patriotic sentiments.
Another motivation came from their professional background. Because military jet pilots, as they now say, could not imagine their existence without adrenaline.
One more circumstance should be added here: the first cosmonauts were national heroes. Well, Gagarin, in general, was an idol of international level.
There was also a material component. Gagarin received 15 thousand rubles for his flight. With this money then it was possible to buy three of the best Soviet cars - Volgas. After that, they started paying 5-10 thousand per flight, depending on the duration and other circumstances. Plus the high salary on earth - with all sorts of bonuses, rations, “star” and other allowances it came out to about a thousand. That is, 9 times more than an engineer, and three times more than an academician.
Here you should add the keys to an apartment in Star City or in Moscow in the VDNKh area. And also “Volga” for space flight. And the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, which offers many different benefits.
The situation is completely different now, when astronautics has ceased to be a priority. Today, an astronaut receives $800 a day for a flight. After returning from a three-month flight, he cannot buy an apartment. But there can be no more than three such flights during its active period. On earth, the salary, depending on length of service and other factors, ranges from 60 thousand to 100 thousand rubles. It’s completely ridiculous to talk about an apartment here. If we compare this with the average salary in the government apparatus, which is 241 thousand rubles, then this is completely humiliating.
After landing
In the 60s, three more people included in the first cosmonaut corps passed away. One very loudly - Yuri Gagarin, in 1968. It was a national tragedy, since he was not just the pride of the country, but everyone's favorite.
Two - quiet. In 1966 - Grigory Nelyubov. After being discharged from the unit, he continued to serve in the Air Force. Being drunk, he got hit by a train. In 1970, Pavel Belyaev left. He died during surgery for peritonitis.
All of them were under forty years old.
In 1980, before reaching fifty, Valentin Varlamov died.
In 1992, Ivan Anikeev, expelled from the detachment, died of cancer at the age of 59. After the detachment, he served in the Air Force. At the same age, his “fellow” in expulsion, Valentin Filatyev, died of heart failure in 1990.
After leaving the cosmonaut corps due to the achievement age limit or for other reasons, the destinies of the first cosmonauts turned out differently. Georgy Shonin, who lived to be 61, was quite prosperous. In Ukraine he commanded air army Odessa district, then became deputy district commander. And three last year was the head of the Research Institute of Aviation and Space Technology of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
German Titov became a Doctor of Military Sciences. Worked in prominent positions in the USSR Ministry of Defense, having direct relation to astronautics. He was president of the Russian Cosmonautics Federation. He sat in the State Duma. He died in 2000 from a heart attack at the age of 65.
Andriyan Nikolaev was quite successful in Soviet times, receiving the State Prize and sitting on the Supreme Council of the USSR. But in the Russian Federation he held more modest positions - he was on the staff of the State Duma Mandates Commission. Died at the age of 74 from a heart attack.
Pavel Popovich, being a major general in the reserve, worked in Moscow as chairman of the board of directors until 2009 State Institute land cadastral surveys. Died at the age of 78 from a stroke.
Evgeny Khrunov worked as a senior researcher at the Research Institute of Aviation and Space Technology of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which was headed by Shonin. Then he became director of the Moscow representative office of the inter-farm association "Commonwealth". Further - the president of the scientific and production association "K.E.M.T." Died at the age of 66.
As we see, strong health in youth is not the key to longevity. Especially if the body is subjected to heavy stress, both physical and mental.
Here is how cosmonaut Gennady Strekalov commented on this situation 10 years ago:
“Over the past 5 years, we have buried 12 astronauts, some did not even live to be 60 years old, and yet we were selected with a five-fold health reserve. Stress is understandable, but what about the effects of radiation and weightlessness? This means that space medicine is hiding something from us. We are now raising the question of specific occupational diseases of astronauts. Doctors run around the astronaut only during preparation for the flight and a month of post-flight rehabilitation, after which he is forgotten. But even with scientific point“It’s very interesting to trace the consequences of space flights on living people, to monitor their health, and to register all this.”
Of the 20 space pioneers, four are now alive.
Valery Bykovsky worked as director of the House of Soviet Culture and Science in Berlin until 1991. Now he lives quietly in retirement.
After leaving the detachment, Boris Volynov worked for a long time at the Cosmonaut Training Center. Now retired.
Viktor Gorbatko was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In the 90s he became president of the Russian Philatelists Union.
Alexey Leonov was the most successful in civilian life. He is a media person, always heard and visible. For a long time he worked as deputy director of the Cosmonaut Training Center. He exhibited paintings with space subjects. He gave interviews and acted as an expert. IN modern Russia was director space program"Chatek" company. Now he is an adviser to the chairman of the board of directors of Alfa Bank.
In conclusion, one more thing needs to be said. Going into their debut, these young, handsome and brave guys could not imagine that there was another motivation for their choice. And it worked to its fullest. All of them forever inscribed their names in the history of the country.
In the photo: Moscow. Cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin and Pavel Popovich while studying at the Zhukovsky Academy, 1965.
