Posted by Ray Katz in current, history
Remembering cosmonaut Pavel Popovich
Nikolayev (left) and Popovich (right)
You probably don’t remember the name Pavel Popovich. He was big news in 1962. That’s a long time ago, and more memorable space achievement occurred both before and after his historic flight.
But in August 1962, Popovich piloted the fourth manned Soviet space mission, Vostok 4. The year before, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. And soon after, cosmonaut Gherman Titove became the second—spending a full day in space aboard Vostok 2.
Popovich died this week, just a few days short of his 80th birthday.
What made Popovich’s flight so special? He piloted one of two manned missions that the Soviets had at the same time. He was orbiting the earth at the same time at Vostok 3, piloted by Andriyan Nikolayev. And the two spacecraft came within about 3 miles of each other.
At the time, the Americans were worried. Had the Soviets managed to synchronize the two flight? Were these mission a virtual rendezvous in space?
As it turns out, they weren’t that much in synch. The Soviets were not close to rendezvous yet. But still, two simultaneous manned flight was an accomplishment, and a headline grabber.
Popovich had a second flight, in 1974, piloting the Soyuz 14 mission. But history will mark Vostok 4 as the key history making accomplishment of his life.
To Ukrainians, Popovich is remember as the first one of them to fly in space.
Well, I remember the names of Nikolayev and Popovich – their flights happened at my fifth birthday.
You are right, Americans were very worried at the time. But it was not so much the synchronized flight as it was the short time between the launches. The flights of Nikolayev and Popovich took place just eleven days after the peak of the Cuban missile crisis and the Russians had just proven that they were able to re-arm the launch pad of the world’s biggest rocket within less than 24 hours.
Thanks for the comment, Volker!