… Searc

Sergei Korolev

… … …
This article is about the first chief designer of the Soviet
space programme. For other uses, see Sergei Korolev
(disambiguation).

"The Chief Designer" redirects here. For the 2001 Andy

Duncan novella, see The Chief Designer (novella).

Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (Russian: Сергей

Павлович Королёв, IPA: [sʲɪrˈgʲej ˈpavɫǝvʲɪtɕ kǝrɐˈlʲɵf]
( listen),[8] also transliterated as Sergey Pavlovich
Korolyov; Ukrainian: Сергій Павлович Корольов,
romanized: Serhii Pavlovych Korolov; January
12 [O.S. December 30] 1907 – 14 January 1966) was
a lead Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft
designer during the Space Race between the United
States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s.
He is regarded by many as the father of practical
astronautics.[9][10] He was involved in the
development of the R-7 Rocket, Sputnik 1, and
launching Laika and the first human being, Yuri
Gagarin, into space.[11]

Sergei Korolyov

Сергей Королёв

Born Sergey Pavlovich Korolev

Сергей Павлович
Королёв
12 January [O.S. 30
December 1906] 1907
Zhitomir, Ukraine

Died 14 January 1966

(aged 59)
Moscow, Soviet Union

Resting place Kremlin Wall Necropolis,

Moscow

Nationality Russian Soviet,

Ukrainian[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Education Kiev Polytechnic

Institute, Bauman
Moscow State Technical
University

Occupation Rocket engineer, Chief

Designer of the Soviet
space program

Spouse(s) Ksenia Vincentini

Nina Ivanovna
Kotenkova[7]

Children 1

Military career

Allegiance Soviet Union

Service/branch Red Army

Years of service 1945–1952

Rank Polkovnik (colonel)

Signature

Although Korolev trained as an aircraft designer, his

greatest strengths proved to be in design
integration, organization and strategic planning.
Arrested on a false official charge as a "member of
an anti-Soviet counter-revolutionary organization"
(which would later be reduced to "saboteur of
military technology"),[12] he was imprisoned in 1938
for almost six years, including some months in a
Kolyma labour camp. Following his release he
became a recognized rocket designer and a key
figure in the development of the Soviet
Intercontinental ballistic missile program. He later
directed the Soviet space program and was made a
Member of Soviet Academy of Sciences, overseeing
the early successes of the Sputnik and Vostok
projects including the first human Earth orbit mission
by Yuri Gagarin on 12 April 1961. Korolev's
unexpected death in 1966 interrupted
implementation of his plans for a Soviet crewed
Moon landing before the United States 1969
mission.

Before his death he was officially identified only as

Glavny Konstruktor (Главный Конструĸтор), or the
Chief Designer, to protect him from possible Cold
War assassination attempts by the United States.[13]
Even some of the cosmonauts who worked with him
were unaware of his last name; he only went by
Chief Designer.[11] Only following his death in 1966
was his identity revealed and he received the
appropriate public recognition as the driving force
behind Soviet accomplishments in space exploration
during and following the International Geophysical
Year.

Early life

Education

Early career

Imprisonment

Ballistic missiles

Space program

Death

Personal life

Awards and honours

Portrayals in fiction

See also

References

Bibliography

External links

Last edited 11 days ago by 31.15.253.117

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

otherwise noted.
Terms of Use • Privacy policy • Desktop