Vladislav Volkov
Encyclopedia
Vladislav Nikolayevich Volkov was a Soviet
cosmonaut
who flew on the Soyuz 7
and Soyuz 11
missions. The second mission terminated fatally.
, 1959. As an aviation engineer at Korolyov Design Bureau, he was involved in the development of the Vostok and Voskhod spacecrafts prior to his selection as a cosmonaut. He flew aboard Soyuz 7 in 1969.
Volkov, on his second space mission in 1971, was assigned to Soyuz 11. The three cosmomauts on this flight spent 23 days on Salyut 1, the world's first space station. After three relatively placid weeks in orbit, however, Soyuz 11 became the second Soviet space flight to terminate fatally, after Soyuz 1
.
After a normal re-entry
, the Soyuz 11 capsule was opened and the corpses of the three crew members were found inside. It was discovered that a valve had opened just prior to leaving orbit that had allowed the capsule's atmosphere to vent away into space, causing Volkov and his two flight companions to suffer fatal hypoxia
as their cabin descended toward the earth's atmosphere.
(first on October 22, 1969 and posthumously on June 30, 1971). He was also awarded the Order of Lenin
. The crater Volkov
on the Moon
is named in his honor. A street in Moscow is named after him.
Vladislav Volkov's ashes were inurned in the Kremlin Wall
on the Red Square
in Moscow.
In the movie Virus (1999)
, an alien intelligence inhabits the computer system of the research vessel "Akademic Vladislav Volkov" via a transmission from space. According to Brian Harvey's book Russia In Space, there was also a real Soviet communications ship called the Vladislav Volkov, but it was sold by the Russian government following the fall of the USSR.
The Cosmonaut Volkov variety of heirloom tomato is also named for him.
.
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....
cosmonaut
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 flew on the Soyuz 7
Soyuz 7
Soyuz 7 was part of a joint mission with Soyuz 6 and Soyuz 8 that saw three Soyuz spacecraft in orbit together at the same time, carrying seven cosmonauts....
and Soyuz 11
Soyuz 11
Soyuz 11 was the first manned mission to arrive at the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The mission arrived at the space station on June 7, 1971 and departed on June 30, 1971. The mission ended in disaster when the crew capsule depressurized during preparations for re-entry, killing the...
missions. The second mission terminated fatally.
Biography
Volkov graduated from the Moscow Aviation InstituteMoscow Aviation Institute
Moscow Aviation Institute is one of several major engineering higher education establishments in Moscow .Although the school is currently offering a wide range of majors and research...
, 1959. As an aviation engineer at Korolyov Design Bureau, he was involved in the development of the Vostok and Voskhod spacecrafts prior to his selection as a cosmonaut. He flew aboard Soyuz 7 in 1969.
Volkov, on his second space mission in 1971, was assigned to Soyuz 11. The three cosmomauts on this flight spent 23 days on Salyut 1, the world's first space station. After three relatively placid weeks in orbit, however, Soyuz 11 became the second Soviet space flight to terminate fatally, after Soyuz 1
Soyuz 1
Soyuz 1 was a manned spaceflight of the Soviet space program. Launched into orbit on April 23, 1967 carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov, Soyuz 1 was the first flight of the Soyuz spacecraft...
.
After a normal re-entry
Re-Entry
"Re-Entry" was the second album released by UK R&B / Hip Hop collective Big Brovaz. After the album was delayed in May 2006, the band finally release the follow-up to "Nu Flow" on 9 April 2007...
, the Soyuz 11 capsule was opened and the corpses of the three crew members were found inside. It was discovered that a valve had opened just prior to leaving orbit that had allowed the capsule's atmosphere to vent away into space, causing Volkov and his two flight companions to suffer fatal hypoxia
Hypoxia (medical)
Hypoxia, or hypoxiation, is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. Variations in arterial oxygen concentrations can be part of the normal physiology, for example, during strenuous physical exercise...
as their cabin descended toward the earth's atmosphere.
Honors
Vladislav Volkov was decorated twice as the Hero of the Soviet UnionHero 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:...
(first on October 22, 1969 and posthumously on June 30, 1971). He was also awarded the 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...
. The crater Volkov
Volkov (crater)
Volkov is a lunar crater on the Moon's far side. It is located to the north of the prominent crater Tsiolkovskiy, and east-southeast of Dobrovol'skiy. Overlying the southeastern rim of Volkov is the satellite crater Volkov J, and the two have merged to form a figure-8 shape...
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named in his honor. A street in Moscow is named after him.
Vladislav Volkov's ashes were inurned in the Kremlin Wall
Kremlin Wall Necropolis
Burials in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis in Moscow began in November 1917, when 240 pro-Bolshevik victims of the October Revolution were buried in mass graves on Red Square. It is centered on both sides of Lenin's Mausoleum, initially built in wood in 1924 and rebuilt in granite in 1929–1930...
on the Red Square
Red Square
Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod...
in Moscow.
In the movie Virus (1999)
Virus (1999 film)
Virus is a 1999 science fiction-horror film directed by visual effects artist John Bruno and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland...
, an alien intelligence inhabits the computer system of the research vessel "Akademic Vladislav Volkov" via a transmission from space. According to Brian Harvey's book Russia In Space, there was also a real Soviet communications ship called the Vladislav Volkov, but it was sold by the Russian government following the fall of the USSR.
The Cosmonaut Volkov variety of heirloom tomato is also named for him.
Books
An account of Volkov's life and space career appears in the 2003 book "Fallen Astronauts" by Colin BurgessColin 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...
.