Pavel Belyayev
Encyclopedia
Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev , (June 26, 1925 – January 10, 1970), was a Soviet fighter pilot with extensive experience in piloting different types of aircraft. He was the first commander of the cosmonaut corps and the cosmonaut
who commanded the historic Voskhod 2
mission which saw the first man walk in space in 1965.
, Vologda Oblast
. In 1932 his family moved to the nearby village of Minkovo. His father was a physician's assistant and his mother worked on a collective farm. Belyayev began his schooling at the age of 7 in 1932. Physics and geography were his favourite subjects. As a boy he enjoyed playing hockey and hunting. Just before his 13th birthday the family moved to Kamensk-Uralsky
region. He continued his education at the Gorkogo secondary school.
In 1942, Belyayev took on temporary work as a turner in a factory and later became a check operator in the Sinarsk pipes factory in support of the war effort. He applied to the special air force school in Sverdlovsk
but failed to gain admission. He then attempted to join a fighting ski unit as a volunteer, but was again rejected because he was too young. In 1943, just prior to turning 18, he was called up. He then entered the 3rd Sarapul School where he began training as a naval pilot. He graduated in 1944 and then moved to the Stalin Naval Air School.
, Lavochkin
and MiG
fighters in the final days of the war against the Japanese. Belyayev remained in the East for the next decade, being stationed largely in Siberia
. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1947. In 1948 he married Tatyana Prikazchikova. In 1950 he was promoted to senior lieutenant. During this time he flew seven different aircraft types and came to be considered one of the Soviet Union's most gifted commander pilots. He was awarded the Distinguished Combat service medal in 1953. In 1954 he was promoted to captain. While he remained fond of hunting, he also enjoyed more academic pursuits in his downtime including reading and writing poetry and playing the piano and accordion.
In 1956 Belyayev succeeded in gaining entry into advanced studies at the Red Banner Air Force Academy. He graduated in 1959 as military pilot second class and with the rank of major.
Belyayev reported for assignment at the newly formed TsPK (cosmonaut training centre) on March 25 1960. At 34, he was the oldest candidate accepted into the program. As a major he was the highest ranking candidate and the only one to have seen active service in World War II. Because of his senior rank, Belyayev became the first commander of the cosmonaut corps. Belyayev and Vladimir Komarov
(2 years Belyayev's junior) were the only candidates to have Air Force Academy training. Yuri Gagarin nicknamed the two senior officers "The Professors"
In August Belyayev fractured his lower leg just above the ankle in parachute training, an accident that delayed his progress by approximately 12 months and excluded him from any early space flights. Due to the severity of the injury it seemed unlikely that Belyayev would be re-admitted to the program, but he worked constantly to recover and regain his fitness. After a year's absence he passed his medical and returned to training.
mission in 1964, a second more technically demanding mission was planned for 1965. Its primary aim was to have a cosmonaut leave the capsule and "space-walk". Belyayev was confirmed as prime crew commander of Voskhod 2
just 3 days prior to launch. There had been concern about his mission fitness following a poor performance in the altitude chamber testing 2 months before. It was his crewman Alexei Leonov who finally reported that "Those responsible for the malfunction were the factory specialists supporting the equipment",
and that Belyayev had successfully corrected the fault himself, thereby also taking responsibility for the problem himself. Leonov, who had been chosen to perform the space walk described how he preferred to have Belyayev as his mission commander over Khrunov. "I lobbied hard for Pasha, whom I thought more capable than Khrunov. I had worked with him more; I trusted him."
After Leonov successfully performed the first space walk, Belyayev prepared to return to Earth. Belyayev had to perform a manual re-entry when the automatic re-entry system failed. This required Belyayev to use the equipped Vzor navigation device to orient the capsule. Due to the cramped conditions inside the capsule and its poor design, Belyayev had to lie across the seats to use the Vzor while Leonov held him in place. Belyayev asked Leonov to check the craft's attitude, a move which caused the craft to overshoot its intended landing area by approximately 2,000 km because of the extra time this took. Upon landing Belyayev had to force open the hatch after the explosive bolts failed to open it. Belyayev then had to pull Leonov, whose legs had become jammed under the TV screen console, out of the capsule. After spending a night back inside the capsule in extremely cold conditions, the crew were met by an advance rescue party the following morning. It took another day to clear a spot in the forest for a rescue helicopter to land 9km from the landing site.
After the success of the mission Belyayev and Leonov were awarded Hero of the Soviet Union
, given 15,000 rubles, a Volga car and 45 days leave.
Apollo 15
commander, astronaut David Scott
recalled meeting Belyayev in Paris at a biannual air show in 1967 when he and other NASA
representatives visited the Russian pavilion. "He was really gracious…Belyayev was a very positive, thoughtful guy, a real leader; I liked him a lot." On a reciprocal visit to the American pavilion Belyayev disclosed that he had been "the first cosmonaut to bring his mission back to Earth on manual control"
He was originally to fly the Vostok
8 mission into Earth's Van Allen radiation belt
, but this was cancelled.
Belyayev died five years after the Voskhod 2 mission in 1970 from peritonitis
that resulted from an operation on a stomach ulcer. He is buried in the Novodevichy convent in Moscow.
in Moscow. Pavel Belyayev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union
(March 23, 1965), Order of Lenin
, Order of the Red Star
, numerous medals and foreign orders. He also bore the title of the Hero of Socialist Labor of Bulgaria, Hero of Vietnam, and Hero of Mongolia.
Accounts of Belyayev's life and space career appear in the 2003 book "Fallen Astronauts" and the 2007 book Into That Silent Sea
, both by Colin Burgess
. Belyayev is also used as a character in Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens 2005 novel, Freefall, in which he is the first person to land on the moon, hours before Apollo 11
.
Pavel Belyayev appeared on various stamps. In 1965, he appeared on stamps from the Soviet Union
, Cuba
, Bulgaria
, East Germany, and Hungary
. In 1966, he appeared on stamps from Bulgaria, Mali
, and Mauritania
.
A minor planet
2030 Belyaev
discovered in 1969 by Soviet
astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh
is named after him.
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
who commanded the historic Voskhod 2
Voskhod 2
Voskhod 2 was a Soviet manned space mission in March 1965. Vostok-based Voskhod 3KD spacecraft with two crew members on board, Pavel Belyaev and Alexei Leonov, was equipped with an inflatable airlock...
mission which saw the first man walk in space in 1965.
Early Life
Pavel Belyayev was one of 6 children and was known as Pasha to his family and friends. He was born on June 26, 1925, in Chelishchevo, in what is now Babushkinsky DistrictBabushkinsky District, Vologda Oblast
Babushkinsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Babushkinsky Municipal District...
, Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is Vologda. The largest city is Cherepovets.Vologda Oblast is rich in historic monuments, such as the magnificent Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Ferapontov Convent , medieval towns of Velikiy Ustyug and Belozersk, baroque...
. In 1932 his family moved to the nearby village of Minkovo. His father was a physician's assistant and his mother worked on a collective farm. Belyayev began his schooling at the age of 7 in 1932. Physics and geography were his favourite subjects. As a boy he enjoyed playing hockey and hunting. Just before his 13th birthday the family moved to Kamensk-Uralsky
Kamensk-Uralsky
Kamensk-Uralsky is a city in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kamenka and Iset Rivers . Population: 173,000 ; 51,000 .The mayor of the city is Mikhail Astakhov.-History:...
region. He continued his education at the Gorkogo secondary school.
In 1942, Belyayev took on temporary work as a turner in a factory and later became a check operator in the Sinarsk pipes factory in support of the war effort. He applied to the special air force school in Sverdlovsk
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
but failed to gain admission. He then attempted to join a fighting ski unit as a volunteer, but was again rejected because he was too young. In 1943, just prior to turning 18, he was called up. He then entered the 3rd Sarapul School where he began training as a naval pilot. He graduated in 1944 and then moved to the Stalin Naval Air School.
Air Force Career
Belyayev graduated as a military pilot in 1945 with the rank of junior lieutenant. The war had ended in the west, so Belyayev was sent to defend Russia's eastern regions. He flew YakYak
The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...
, Lavochkin
Lavochkin
NPO Lavochkin is a Russian aerospace company. It is a major player in the Russian space program, being the developer and manufacturer of the Fregat upper stage, as well as interplanetary probes such as Phobos Grunt...
and MiG
Mig
-Industry:*MiG, now Mikoyan, a Russian aircraft corporation, formerly the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau*Metal inert gas welding or MIG welding, a type of welding using an electric arc and a shielding gas-Business and finance:...
fighters in the final days of the war against the Japanese. Belyayev remained in the East for the next decade, being stationed largely in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1947. In 1948 he married Tatyana Prikazchikova. In 1950 he was promoted to senior lieutenant. During this time he flew seven different aircraft types and came to be considered one of the Soviet Union's most gifted commander pilots. He was awarded the Distinguished Combat service medal in 1953. In 1954 he was promoted to captain. While he remained fond of hunting, he also enjoyed more academic pursuits in his downtime including reading and writing poetry and playing the piano and accordion.
In 1956 Belyayev succeeded in gaining entry into advanced studies at the Red Banner Air Force Academy. He graduated in 1959 as military pilot second class and with the rank of major.
Cosmonaut Selection
During Belyayev's final studies at the Red banner Air Force Academy he had been interviewed and tested for possible inclusion in the space program. The selectors were impressed by his ability to withstand high g-Forces. Belyayev was sent to Air Squadron 661 4th IAD of the Black Sea Fleet. A month later he was appointed commander of the regiment's 241st squadron. By the time he was finally selected he had logged over 1,000 hours flight time in both piston and jet aircraft and had also completed approximately 40 parachute jumps.Belyayev reported for assignment at the newly formed TsPK (cosmonaut training centre) on March 25 1960. At 34, he was the oldest candidate accepted into the program. As a major he was the highest ranking candidate and the only one to have seen active service in World War II. Because of his senior rank, Belyayev became the first commander of the cosmonaut corps. Belyayev and Vladimir Komarov
Vladimir Komarov
Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov was a Soviet test pilot, aerospace engineer and cosmonaut in the first group of cosmonauts selected in 1960. He was one of the most highly experienced and well-qualified candidates accepted into "Air Force Group One"....
(2 years Belyayev's junior) were the only candidates to have Air Force Academy training. Yuri Gagarin nicknamed the two senior officers "The Professors"
In August Belyayev fractured his lower leg just above the ankle in parachute training, an accident that delayed his progress by approximately 12 months and excluded him from any early space flights. Due to the severity of the injury it seemed unlikely that Belyayev would be re-admitted to the program, but he worked constantly to recover and regain his fitness. After a year's absence he passed his medical and returned to training.
Space Flight
After the success of the first VoskhodVoskhod 1
Voskhod 1 was the seventh manned Soviet space flight. It achieved a number of "firsts" in the history of manned spaceflight, being the first space flight to carry more than one crewman into orbit, the first flight without the use of spacesuits, and the first to carry either an engineer or a...
mission in 1964, a second more technically demanding mission was planned for 1965. Its primary aim was to have a cosmonaut leave the capsule and "space-walk". Belyayev was confirmed as prime crew commander of Voskhod 2
Voskhod 2
Voskhod 2 was a Soviet manned space mission in March 1965. Vostok-based Voskhod 3KD spacecraft with two crew members on board, Pavel Belyaev and Alexei Leonov, was equipped with an inflatable airlock...
just 3 days prior to launch. There had been concern about his mission fitness following a poor performance in the altitude chamber testing 2 months before. It was his crewman Alexei Leonov who finally reported that "Those responsible for the malfunction were the factory specialists supporting the equipment",
and that Belyayev had successfully corrected the fault himself, thereby also taking responsibility for the problem himself. Leonov, who had been chosen to perform the space walk described how he preferred to have Belyayev as his mission commander over Khrunov. "I lobbied hard for Pasha, whom I thought more capable than Khrunov. I had worked with him more; I trusted him."
Voskhod 2
Voskhod 2 launched with Belyayev and Leonov on board on March 18, 1965. Belyayev's call sign was Diamond (Russian: Алмаз) and his designation as mission commander was 1.After Leonov successfully performed the first space walk, Belyayev prepared to return to Earth. Belyayev had to perform a manual re-entry when the automatic re-entry system failed. This required Belyayev to use the equipped Vzor navigation device to orient the capsule. Due to the cramped conditions inside the capsule and its poor design, Belyayev had to lie across the seats to use the Vzor while Leonov held him in place. Belyayev asked Leonov to check the craft's attitude, a move which caused the craft to overshoot its intended landing area by approximately 2,000 km because of the extra time this took. Upon landing Belyayev had to force open the hatch after the explosive bolts failed to open it. Belyayev then had to pull Leonov, whose legs had become jammed under the TV screen console, out of the capsule. After spending a night back inside the capsule in extremely cold conditions, the crew were met by an advance rescue party the following morning. It took another day to clear a spot in the forest for a rescue helicopter to land 9km from the landing site.
After the success of the mission Belyayev and Leonov were awarded Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
, given 15,000 rubles, a Volga car and 45 days leave.
Apollo 15
Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
commander, astronaut David Scott
David Scott
David Randolph Scott is an American engineer, test pilot, retired U.S. Air Force officer, and former NASA astronaut and engineer, who was one of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963...
recalled meeting Belyayev in Paris at a biannual air show in 1967 when he and other NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
representatives visited the Russian pavilion. "He was really gracious…Belyayev was a very positive, thoughtful guy, a real leader; I liked him a lot." On a reciprocal visit to the American pavilion Belyayev disclosed that he had been "the first cosmonaut to bring his mission back to Earth on manual control"
He was originally to fly the Vostok
Vostok spacecraft
The Vostok was a type of spacecraft built by the Soviet Union. The first human spaceflight in history was accomplished on this spacecraft on April 12, 1961, by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin....
8 mission into Earth's Van Allen radiation belt
Van Allen radiation belt
The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles around Earth, which is held in place by Earth's magnetic field. It is believed that most of the particles that form the belts come from solar wind, and other particles by cosmic rays. It is named after its discoverer, James...
, but this was cancelled.
Belyayev died five years after the Voskhod 2 mission in 1970 from peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
that resulted from an operation on a stomach ulcer. He is buried in the Novodevichy convent in Moscow.
Legacy
Belyayev has been commemorated with other prominent figures from the early Russian space program with a bust on Cosmonauts AlleyCosmonauts Alley
Cosmonauts Alley is a wide avenue in northern Moscow leading to the Russian Museum of Cosmonautics and the Monument to the Conquerors of Space . The pedestrian-only avenue connects the museum and monument to the VDNKh subway station....
in Moscow. Pavel Belyayev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
(March 23, 1965), Order of Lenin
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
, Order of the Red Star
Order of the Red Star
Established on 6 April 1930, the Order of the Red Star was an order of the Soviet Union, given to Red Army and Soviet Navy personnel for "exceptional service in the cause of the defense of the Soviet Union in both war and peace". It was established by Resolution of the Presidium of the CEC of the...
, numerous medals and foreign orders. He also bore the title of the Hero of Socialist Labor of Bulgaria, Hero of Vietnam, and Hero of Mongolia.
Accounts of Belyayev's life and space career appear in the 2003 book "Fallen Astronauts" and the 2007 book Into That Silent Sea
Into That Silent Sea
Into That Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era 1961-1965 is a 2007 non-fiction book by space historians Francis French and Colin Burgess...
, both by Colin Burgess
Colin Burgess (author)
Colin Burgess is an Australian author and historian, specializing in space flight and military history. He is a former customer service manager for Qantas Airways, and a regular contributor to the collectSPACE online community. He lives in New South Wales...
. Belyayev is also used as a character in Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens 2005 novel, Freefall, in which he is the first person to land on the moon, hours before Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
.
Pavel Belyayev appeared on various stamps. In 1965, he appeared on stamps from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, East Germany, and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. In 1966, he appeared on stamps from Bulgaria, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, and Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
.
A minor planet
Minor planet
An asteroid group or minor-planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
2030 Belyaev
2030 Belyaev
2030 Belyaev is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 8, 1969 by Chernykh, L. at Nauchnyj.- External links :*...
discovered in 1969 by Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh
Lyudmila Chernykh
Lyudmila Ivanovna Chernykh is a Russian, Ukrainian and Soviet astronomer.In 1959 she graduated from Irkutsk State Pedagogical University. Between 1959 and 1963 she worked in the 'Time and Frequency Laboratory' of the All-Union Research Institute of Physico-Technical and Radiotechnical Measurements...
is named after him.