So, 2011 came into its own, which was declared by the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev as the Year of Russian Cosmonautics last July. And on January 11, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made a special trip to the Space Flight Control Center in the town of Korolev, near Moscow, to hold a meeting of the organizing committee to celebrate the 50th anniversary of manned space exploration.
Speaking about the tasks of the organizing committee, the head of government drew attention to the need to encourage people employed in the rocket and space industry. “Last year the medal“For Merit in Space Exploration”was established. I propose to think about other forms of state encouragement of those people who make a significant contribution to the development of national cosmonautics,”Putin said. He also noted that everything related to space and its exploration is a "Russian national brand."
Indeed, it is no coincidence, perhaps, that this speech by Vladimir Putin took place just before January 12 - the birthday of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, the great designer of space rockets, whose name, by the way, is the name of the city where the Space flights.
Sergei Korolev was born on January 12, 1907 in the city of Zhitomir in the family of the teacher of Russian literature Pavel Yakovlevich Korolev and his wife Maria Nikolaevna Moskalenko. Even in his school years, Sergei was distinguished by exceptional abilities and an indomitable craving for the then new aviation technology. In 1922-1924 he studied at a construction vocational school, taking part in many circles and in various courses.
In 1921 he got acquainted with the pilots of the Odessa Hydraulic Detachment and actively participated in aviation public life: from the age of 16 - as a lecturer on the elimination of aviation illiteracy, and from the age of 17 - as the author of the K-5 non-motorized aircraft project, officially defended before a competent commission and recommended for construction.
Having entered the Kiev Polytechnic Institute in 1924 in the profile of aviation technology, Korolev mastered general engineering disciplines in it in two years and became an athlete-glider. In the fall of 1926, he was transferred to the Moscow Higher Technical School (MVTU).
During his studies at MVTU S. P. Korolev has already gained fame as a young talented aircraft designer and an experienced glider pilot. The aircraft designed and built by him - the Koktebel and Krasnaya Zvezda gliders and the SK-4 light aircraft designed to achieve a record flight range - showed Korolev's outstanding abilities as an aircraft designer. However, he was especially fascinated by flights in the stratosphere and the principles of jet propulsion. In September 1931, S. P. Korolev and the talented rocket engine enthusiast F. A. Zander are seeking the creation in Moscow with the help of Osoaviakhim of a new public organization - the Group for the Study of Jet Propulsion (GIRD). In April 1932, it became essentially a state scientific and design laboratory for the development of rocket aircraft, in which the first domestic liquid-propellant ballistic missiles (BR) GIRD-09 and GIRD-10 were created and launched.
In 1933, on the basis of the Moscow GIRD and the Leningrad Gas Dynamic Laboratory (GDL), the Jet Research Institute was founded under the leadership of I. T. Kleymenova. S. P. Korolev is appointed his deputy. However, differences in views with the leaders of the GDL on the prospects for the development of rocket technology force Korolev to switch to creative engineering work, and he, as the head of the missile aircraft department in 1936, managed to bring cruise missiles to tests: anti-aircraft missiles - 217 with a powder rocket engine and long-range - 212 s. liquid propellant rocket engine.
In 1938, Korolev was arrested on false charges. According to some reports, his jaw was broken during interrogation. The author of this version is journalist Y. Golovanov. However, in his book, he emphasizes that this is only a version: “In February 1988, I talked with a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Efuni. Sergei Naumovich told me about the 1966 operation, during which Sergei Pavlovich died. Efuni himself took part in it only at a certain stage, but, being at that time the leading anesthesiologist of the 4th Main Directorate of the USSR Ministry of Health, he knew all the details of this tragic event.
Anesthesiologist Yuri Ilyich Savinov faced an unforeseen circumstance, - said Sergei Naumovich. - In order to give anesthesia, it was necessary to insert a tube, and Korolev could not open his mouth wide. He had fractures of two jaws …”Nevertheless, Golovanov even names the names of the investigators who beat Korolyov - Shestakov and Bykov, but nevertheless clarifies that he has no documented evidence of their guilt.
Although Korolev was charged with an article under which many were shot in those years, he "got off", so to speak, with a sentence of 10 years in prison (plus five more defeats in civil rights). He spent a whole year in Butyrka prison, later he managed to visit both Kolyma and Vladivostok camps. But in 1940, convicted a second time in Moscow by a Special Meeting of the NKVD, he was transferred to the Central Design Bureau (number 29) of the NKVD of the USSR, headed by the outstanding aircraft designer Andrei Tupolev, who was also a prisoner at that time.
Of course, both Korolev and Tupolev, and, probably, most of their colleagues at TsKB-29 had enough reason to be offended by the Soviet regime. Nevertheless, the threat to the very existence of the country due to enemy aggression forced them all to work fruitfully for the benefit of the defense of their Fatherland. Sergei Korolev, for example, took an active part in the creation and production of the Tu-2 front-line bomber and at the same time proactively developed projects for a guided air torpedo and a new version of a missile interceptor.
This was the reason for the transfer of Korolev in 1942 to another organization of the same camp type - the OKB of the NKVD of the USSR at the Kazan aircraft plant No. 16, where work was carried out on new types of rocket engines with the aim of using them in aviation. There, Korolyov, with his characteristic enthusiasm, gives himself up to the idea of practical use of rocket engines to improve aviation: to reduce the length of the aircraft's takeoff run and increase the speed and dynamic characteristics of aircraft during air combat.
On May 13, 1946, a decision was made to create an industry in the USSR for the development and production of rocket weapons with liquid propellant rocket engines. In accordance with the same decree, it was envisaged to unite all groups of Soviet engineers studying the German V-2 missile weapons into a single research institute “Nordhausen”, the director of which was appointed Major General L. M. Gaidukov, and the chief engineer-technical leader - S. P. Korolev. In Germany, Sergei Pavlovich not only studies the German V-2 rocket, but also designs a more advanced ballistic missile with a range of up to 600 km.
Soon all Soviet specialists returned to the Soviet Union to the research institutes and experimental design bureaus created in accordance with the aforementioned May government decree. In August 1946 S. P. Korolev was appointed chief designer of long-range ballistic missiles and head of department No. 3 of NII-88 for their development.
The first task set by the government for Korolev as the chief designer and all organizations involved in missile weapons was to create an analogue of the V-2 rocket from domestic materials. But already in 1947, a decree was issued on the development of new ballistic missiles with a flight range greater than that of the "V-2": up to 3000 km. In 1948, Korolev began flight design tests of the R-1 ballistic missile (an analogue of the V-2) and in 1950 he successfully put it into service.
During 1954 alone, Korolev was simultaneously working on various modifications of the R-1 rocket (R-1A, R-1B, R-1V, R-1D, R-1E), completing work on the R-5 and outlining five different modifications., is completing the complex and responsible work on the R-5M missile with a nuclear warhead. Work on the R-11 and its naval version R-11FM is in full swing, and the intercontinental R-7 is acquiring more and more clear features.
On the basis of the R-11, Korolev developed and put into service in 1957 the R-11M strategic missile with a nuclear warhead, transported fueled on a tank chassis. Having seriously modified this missile, he adapted it for arming submarines (PL) as the R-11FM. The changes were more than serious, since a new control and aiming system was made, as well as the possibility of firing at rather strong sea waves from the surface of the submarine, i.e. with strong rolling. Thus, Sergei Pavlovich created the first ballistic missiles based on stable fuel components of a mobile land and sea base and was a pioneer in these new and important directions in the development of missile weapons.
He handed over the final refinement of the R-11FM rocket to Zlatoust, to SKB-385, sending there from his OKB-1 a young talented leading designer V. P. Makeev together with qualified designers and engineers, thereby laying the foundation for the creation of a unique center for the development of sea-based ballistic missiles.
On the N-3 topic, serious design studies were carried out, during which the fundamental possibility of developing missiles with a long flight range up to an intercontinental one was proved within the framework of a two-stage scheme. Based on the results of these studies, in accordance with a government decree, NII-88 began two research projects under the leadership of Korolev in order to determine the appearance and parameters of intercontinental ballistic and cruise missiles (themes T-1 and T-2) with the necessary experimental confirmation of problematic design decision.
Research on the T-1 topic grew into development work under the leadership of Korolev, associated with the creation of the first two-stage intercontinental missile R-7 of the packet scheme, which still surprises with its original design solutions, simplicity of execution, high reliability and cost-effectiveness. The R-7 rocket made its first successful flight in August 1957.
As a result of a study on the T-2 topic, the possibility of developing a two-stage intercontinental cruise missile was shown, the first stage of which was purely rocket and launched the second stage - a cruise missile - to an altitude of 23-25 km. The winged stage, with the help of a ramjet rocket engine, continued to fly at these altitudes at a speed of 3 M and was guided to the target using an astronavigation control system, which was also operational in the daytime.
Considering the importance of creating such weapons, the government decided to start development work with the forces of the Ministry of Aviation Industry (MAP) (chief designers S. A. Lavochkin and V. M. Myasishchev). The design materials on the T-2 theme were transferred to the Ministry of Aviation Industry, and some specialists and a unit engaged in the design of the astronavigation control system were also transferred there.
The first intercontinental missile R-7, despite many new design and engineering problems, was created in record time and put into service in 1960.
Later S. P. Korolev develops a more advanced compact two-stage intercontinental missile R-9 (supercooled liquid oxygen is used as an oxidizer) and puts it (the mine version of the R-9A) into service in 1962. Later, in parallel with work on important space systems, Sergei Pavlovich began the first in the country to develop the RT-2 solid-propellant intercontinental rocket, which was put into service after his death. At this point, OKB-1 Korolev stopped engaging in combat missile topics and concentrated its efforts on the creation of priority space systems and unique launch vehicles.
Being engaged in combat ballistic missiles, Korolev, as is now evident, strove for more - for the conquest of outer space and human space flights. To this end, Sergei Pavlovich, back in 1949, together with scientists of the USSR Academy of Sciences, began research using modifications of the R-1A rocket by means of their regular vertical launches to heights of up to 100 km, and then with the help of more powerful R-2 and R-5 rockets to heights 200 and 500 km respectively. The purpose of these flights was to study the parameters of the near space, solar and galactic radiation, the Earth's magnetic field, the behavior of highly developed animals in space conditions (weightlessness, overloads, high vibrations and acoustic loads), as well as the development of life support and the return of animals to Earth from space - about seven dozen such launches were made. With this, Sergei Pavlovich laid in advance the serious foundations for the storming of space by man.
In 1955, long before the flight tests of the R-7 rocket, S. P. Korolev, M. V. Keldysh, M. K. Tikhonravov go to the government with a proposal to launch an artificial Earth satellite (AES) into space using the R-7 rocket. The government supports this initiative. In August 1956, OKB-1 leaves NII-88 and becomes an independent organization, the chief designer and director of which is S. P. Korolev. And already on October 4, 1957 S. P. Korolev launches the first artificial Earth satellite in the history of mankind into near-earth orbit - and the word "satellite" has since then been one of the few Russian words known throughout the world that does not need translation.
But on April 12, 1961, an even greater event in the history of mankind took place - the first man, the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, made a space flight in near-earth orbit! And the creator of the spacecraft "Vostok" piloted by Gagarin was, of course, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.
Indeed, the first spacecraft made only one revolution: no one knew how a person would feel during such prolonged weightlessness, what psychological stress would act on him during an unusual and unexplored space travel. But already on August 6, 1961, German Stepanovich Titov completed the second space flight on the Vostok-2 spacecraft, which lasted one day. Then, from 11 to 12 August 1962, a joint flight of the Vostok-3 and Vostok-4 spacecraft, piloted by cosmonauts A. N. Nikolaev and P. R. Popovich, direct radio communication was established between the cosmonauts. The next year - from June 14 to June 16 - the joint flight of cosmonauts V. F. Bykovsky and V. V. Tereshkova on the spacecraft Vostok-5 and Vostok-6 is studying the possibility of a woman's flight in space. Behind them - from October 12 to 13, 1964 - in space, a crew of three people of various specialties: the commander of the ship, the flight engineer and the doctor on the more complex spacecraft "Voskhod". On March 18, 1965, during a flight on the Voskhod-2 spacecraft with a crew of two, cosmonaut A. A. Leonov makes the world's first spacewalk in a spacesuit through an airlock.
Continuing to develop the program of manned near-earth flights, Sergei Pavlovich begins to implement his ideas on the development of a manned long-term orbital station (DOS). Its prototype was a fundamentally new, more perfect than the previous ones, the Soyuz spacecraft. The structure of this spacecraft included a utility compartment, where cosmonauts could be without spacesuits for a long time and conduct scientific research. During the flight, the automatic docking in orbit of two Soyuz spacecraft and the transition of cosmonauts from one spacecraft to another through open space in spacesuits were also envisaged. Unfortunately, Sergei Pavlovich did not live to see the embodiment of his ideas in the Soyuz spacecraft.
For the implementation of manned flights and launches of unmanned space stations, S. P. Korolev is developing a family of perfect three-stage and four-stage carriers on the basis of a combat missile.
In parallel with the rapid development of manned astronautics, work is underway on satellites for scientific, national economic and defense purposes. In 1958, a geophysical satellite was developed and launched into space, and then the twin satellites "Electron" to study the radiation belts of the Earth. In 1959, three unmanned spacecraft to the Moon were created and launched. The first and second - for the delivery of the pennant of the Soviet Union to the moon, the third - for the purpose of photographing the opposite (invisible) side of the moon. In the future, Korolev begins the development of a more advanced lunar apparatus for its soft landing on the lunar surface, photographing and transmitting the lunar panorama to the Earth (object E-6).
Sergei Pavlovich, true to his principle of involving other organizations in the implementation of his ideas, entrusts the completion of this apparatus to his colleague, a native of NII-88, who headed the OKB im. S. A. Lavochkin, chief designer G. N. Babakin. In 1966, the Luna-9 station transmitted for the first time in the world a panorama of the lunar surface. Korolyov did not witness this triumph. But his business fell into good hands: the OKB im. S. A. Lavochkin has become the largest center for the development of automatic spacecraft for the study of the Moon, Venus, Mars, Halley's comet, the Mars satellite Phobos and astrophysical research.
Already in the process of creating the Vostok spacecraft, Korolev began developing, on its constructive basis, the first domestic satellite-photo reconnaissance Zenit for the Ministry of Defense. Sergei Pavlovich created two types of such satellites for detailed and survey reconnaissance, which began to be operated in 1962-1963, and transferred this important direction of space activity to one of his students, chief designer D. I. Kozlov to the Samara branch of OKB-1 (now - Central Specialized Design Bureau - TsSKB), where it found a worthy continuation. At present, TsSKB is a large space center for the development of satellites for sensing the earth's surface in the interests of defense, the national economy and science, as well as for the improvement of carriers based on the R-7 rocket.
Sergey Korolev gave rise to the development of another important direction of using satellites. He developed the first domestic communications and television broadcasting satellite, Molniya-1, operating in a highly elliptical orbit. Korolev transferred this direction to the Krasnoyarsk branch of OKB-1 to his student - chief designer M. F. Reshetnev, thereby laying the foundation for the birth of the country's largest center for the development of various space communication systems, television broadcasting, navigation and geodesy.
Back in the mid-1950s, Korolev was hatching the idea of launching a man to the moon. The corresponding space program was developed with the support of N. S. Khrushchev. However, this program was never implemented. There were also frictions with various departments. The main customer, the USSR Ministry of Defense, did not show much enthusiasm for this issue, and the new party leadership, headed by Leonid Brezhnev, considered these projects very costly and did not give immediate practical benefit. Of course, over time, perhaps, Sergei Pavlovich would have been able to convince Leonid Ilyich of the need to implement the domestic lunar program. But on January 14, 1966 (two days after his 59-year-old birthday), during a serious operation to remove an intestinal sarcoma, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev died.
For his services to the country, Sergei Korolev was twice awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. Soon after his death, in 1966, the USSR Academy of Sciences established the S. P. Korolev "For outstanding services in the field of rocket and space technology." Later, scholarships named after S. P. Korolev for students of higher educational institutions. In Zhitomir (Ukraine), Moscow (RF), at Baikonur (Kazakhstan), in other cities, monuments to the scientist were erected, memorial houses-museums were created. Samara State Aerospace University, streets of many cities, two research ships, a high-mountain peak in the Pamirs, a pass on the Tien Shan, an asteroid, a thalassoid on the Moon bear his name.
And yet, perhaps, even this is not enough to really, in all the merit, pay tribute to the memory of such a great man.
