Konstantin Feoktistov dies in age of 83

[SiberianTiger]

Konstantin Petrovich Feoktostov, Hero of Soviet Union, has passed away yesterday, on November 21, 2009. He had many of his own "space first" achievements:

• the 1st Soviet Civilian Cosmonaut,
• the 1st Soviet non-military and non-Communist Cosmonaut,
• the 1st Flight Engineer in space,
• Member of the 1st crew to fly to space with no pressure suits,
• A crew member of a 1st multi-seater manned space ship,
• 1st on the crew who performed a ground landing within a space ship's capsule,
• the 1st man to risk his own neck by flying a spacecraft he designed himself.

His only mission was the Voskhod (meaning Sunrise) flight (24 hrs and 17 minutes long) on October 12, 1964 commanded by Vladimir "Rubin" Komarov. Another their crewmember was Boris Yegorov.

Unfortunetely, all his subsequent attempts to enroll on a spaceflight were not successful. Despite of that, he had a very fruitful scientific and engineering career, being a lead designer of space ships and orbiting stations within NPO Energia till the 90's (which he headed for quite a long time). Many of his designs are still possibly to be implemented - such as the manned interplanetary spaceship with ion drive propulsion. He also wrote a number of scientific and popular books and has always been a long-time visionary of spaceflight.

May He Rest in Peace.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Rest In Peace to a great Cosmonaut.

 

[Belisarius]

There's a fascinating photo of the Voshkod crew going to the pad, dressed in civilian suits.

Left to right: Komarov, Yegorov, Feoktostov
No pressure suits, not even helmets. Feoktostov was truly a hero, and not just of the Soviet Union.

 

[Star Voyager]

A true test pilot. My thoughts are with his family.

 

[Saturn V]

Can't help being saddened at the loss of another one of the pioneers. Farewell comrade...