Georgy Dobrovolsky

Georgiy Timofeyevich Dobrovolsky
Nationality Soviet
Born June 1, 1928
Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died June 30, 1971 (aged 43)
Outer space
Other occupation
Pilot
Rank Podpolkovnik, Soviet Air Force
Time in space
23d 18h 21m
Selection Air Force Group 2
Missions Soyuz 11
Awards

Georgiy Timofeyevich Dobrovolsky (Russian: Гео́ргий Тимофе́евич Доброво́льский; June 1, 1928  June 30, 1971)[1] was a Soviet cosmonaut who died in outer space.

Biography

Dobrovolsky, Viktor Patsayev and Vladislav Volkov flew on the Soyuz 11 mission and had the unfortunate distinction to be the second Soviet crew to die during a space flight (after Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov in Soyuz 1).

After a normal re-entry, the capsule was opened and the crew was found dead.[2] 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, suffocating the crew.[3]

Dobrovolsky's ashes were placed in an urn in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis on the Red Square in Moscow.[4] He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the title of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Georgy Dobrovolsky.
  1. "Georgy Timofeyevich Dobrovolsky". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  2. Kluger, Jeffrey (31 January 2013). "Soyuz 11: Georgi Dobrovolski, Victor Patsayev, Vladislav Volkov". Time magazine. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  3. "The Crew That Never Came Home: The Misfortunes of Soyuz 11". Space Safety Magazine. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  4. Ivanovich, Grujica S. (2008). Salyut - The First Space Station: Triumph and Tragedy. Springer. p. 351.