Pavel Popovich
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| Pavel Romanovich Popovich | |
|---|---|
| Cosmonaut | |
| Nationality | Soviet |
| Born | October 5, 1930 Kiev Oblast, Ukrainian SSR |
| Other occupation | Pilot |
| Rank | Major General, Soviet Air Force |
| Space time | 18d 16h 27m |
| Selection | Air Force Group 1 |
| Missions | Vostok 4, Soyuz 14 |
| Mission insignia |
 |
Pavel Romanovich Popovich (Russian: Па́вел Рома́нович Попо́вич, Pavel Romanovich Popovich; born October 5, 1930 in Uzyn, Kiev Oblast of Ukrainian SSR) was a Soviet cosmonaut of Ukrainian descent, arguably the first ethnic Ukrainian to fly in space.
Popovich commanded two space flights, Vostok 4 and Soyuz 14. His call sign in these flights was Golden eagle (Russian: Бе́ркут).
In 1960, he was selected as one of a group of twenty air force pilots that would train as the first cosmonauts. Vostok 4 was part the first dual space flight, with Andrian Nikolayev on Vostok 3.
He retired from the space programme in 1982. In 1984 Popovich joined the Academy of Sciences newly created All-Union Investigation Committee for Anomalous Aerial Phenomena and became head of the Academy's UFO Commission. Nowadays he is the president of UFO association of Russia and the chairman of Ukrainian diaspora organisation in Russia.
He is married to Marina Popovich, a retired Soviet Air Force colonel, engineer, and legendary Soviet test pilot who has been outspoken about UFO reality. They have two daughters.
