At the moment within the historical past of astronomy, considered one of Russia’s Vanguard Six passes away.
Along with his record-setting space-endurance exploits, Andriyan Nikolayev was well-known for marrying fellow cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963. They divorced in 1982. Credit score: Alexander Mokletsov/RIA Novosti/Wikimedia
House Race pioneer Andriyan Grigoryevich Nikolayev died July 3, 2004, in Cheboksary, Russia. Even amongst the first group of Soviet cosmonauts selected, he was thought-about elite, a member of the “Vanguard Six” chosen for the Vostok missions. His profession included piloting Vostok 3 in August 1962, which grew to become the primary occasion of two crewed spacecraft concurrently in area when Vostok 4 was launched a day later. The Vostok 3 flight additionally set an endurance document, orbiting Earth 64 instances over 96 hours. Nikolayev later crewed the Soyuz 9 mission in June 1970. Along with establishing one other area endurance document of practically 18 days, the mission highlighted the need of in-flight train for long-duration spaceflight when the Soyuz 9 cosmonauts skipped their deliberate train as a result of they had been preoccupied with different analysis. The extended time in microgravity took a toll, inflicting bone and muscle atrophy; upon their return, Nikolayev and fellow crewmember Vitaly Sevastyanov took days to reacclimate and skilled vital bodily weak spot. At the moment, astronauts comply with strict exercise regimens to keep away from related results. Nikolayev additionally married first girl in area Valentina Tereshkova in 1963, and participated in a goodwill tour of the U.S. in 1970, build up early U.S.-Soviet area cooperation.
