Sergei P. Korolev (1907–1966) made enormous contributions to the development of Soviet manned space flight, and his name is linked with their most significant space achievements. Trained as an aeronautical engineer, he directed the Moscow group studying the principles of rocket propulsion, and in 1946 took over the Soviet program to develop long-range ballistic rockets. Under Korolev, the Soviets used these rockets for space projects and launched the world’s first satellite on October 4, 1957. Besides a vigorous, unmanned, interplanetary research program, Korolev’s goal was to place men in space, and following tests with animals his manned space flight program was initiated when Yuri Gagarin was successfully launched into Earth’s orbit.
| Date |
Astronaut/Cosmonaut |
Mission |
| January 27, 1967 |
Roger Chaffee (U.S.) |
Apollo 1 |
| January 27, 1967 |
Edward White II (U.S.) |
Apollo 1 |
| January 27, 1967 |
Virgil “Gus” Grissom (U.S.) |
Apollo 1 |
| April 24, 1967 |
Vladimir Komarov (U.S.S.R.) |
Soyuz 1 |
| June 29, 1971 |
Viktor Patsayev (U.S.S.R.) |
Soyuz 11 |
| June 29, 1971 |
Vladislav Volkov (U.S.S.R.) |
Soyuz 11 |
| June 29, 1971 |
Georgi Dobrovolsky (U.S.S.R.) |
Soyuz 11 |
| January 28, 1986 |
Gregory Jarvis (U.S.) |
STS 51L |
| January 28, 1986 |
Christa McAuliffe (U.S.) |
STS 51L |
| January 28, 1986 |
Ronald McNair (U.S.) |
STS 51L |
| January 28, 1986 |
Ellison Onizuka (U.S.) |
STS 51L |
| January 28, 1986 |
Judith Resnik (U.S.) |
STS 51L |
| January 28, 1986 |
Francis Scobee (U.S.) |
STS 51L |
| January 28, 1986 |
Michael Smith (U.S.) |
STS 51L |
| February 1, 2003 |
Rick D. Husband (U.S.) |
STS 107 |
| February 1, 2003 |
William C. McCool (U.S.) |
STS 107 |
| February 1, 2003 |
Michael P. Anderson (U.S.) |
STS 107 |
| February 1, 2003 |
Kalpana Chawla (U.S.) |
STS 107 |
| February 1, 2003 |
David M. Brown (U.S.) |
STS 107 |
| February 1, 2003 |
Laurel Blair Salton Clark (U.S.) |
STS 107 |
| February 1, 2003 |
Ilan Ramon (Israel) |
STS 107 |
