Patsaev Victor Ivanovich

Viktor Ivanovich Patsaev — Soviet cosmonaut, research engineer, Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously).

Biography

Childhood. He was born in 1933 in the city of Aktobe (Kazakhstan). Since 1946, Viktor lived and studied in the city of Nesterov, Kaliningrad region.
Education and the beginning of a career. He entered the Penza Industrial Institute and began his studies in the specialty "precision mechanics devices". In June 1955, he defended his excellent thesis project on the topic "Development of a harmonic function analyzer." He was assigned to the Central Aerological Observatory of the USSR Hydrometeorological Service in Dolgoprudny. A year later, he became a senior engineer at the Upper Atmosphere Research Department. He has developed a number of aerological devices. Participated in the design of instruments for meteorological rockets. While working at the observatory, he also studied at the aero club. In 1958, he joined the Design Bureau of S.P. Korolev, where he participated in the development of space technology. He successfully passed the candidate's minimum and enrolled in graduate school.
Selection for the cosmonaut squad. In 1968, he joined the cosmonaut corps as a representative of a group of civilian specialists. He was trained in various programs, including the lunar program.
Space flight. He became a member of the crew of the Soyuz‑11 spacecraft. Patsaev's call sign is Yantar—3. On June 6, 1971, the Soyuz 11 spacecraft flew to deliver a scientific crew to the Salyut station. The spacecraft was piloted by a crew consisting of the ship's commander, aviation Lieutenant Colonel Dobrovolsky G.T. flight engineer, Hero of the Soviet Union, cosmonaut pilot Volkov V.D. and test engineer Patsaev Viktor Ivanovich. During the flight, Viktor Patsaev conducted a complex of comprehensive inspections of various onboard systems of the station, carried out numerous scientific experiments and research. The results of his work played an important role in the development of manned space flight technology.
Records and achievements. The flight lasted 23 days, 18 hours and 21 minutes — at that time it was a world record duration. Patsaev became the first astronomer to work outside the Earth's atmosphere: he conducted astronomical observations in space. He also became the first cosmonaut to celebrate his birthday in space. In total, he spent 568 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds in space, having flown 15911,000 kilometers.
Tragic death. The cosmonaut died on June 30, 1971 due to the depressurization of the descent vehicle upon returning to Earth. When the search team opened the lander's hatch, they found the astronauts sitting motionless at their desks. All resuscitation measures failed. The entire crew of the ship died. The urn with Victor Patsaev's ashes is buried in the Kremlin wall.

Awards and recognition

Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously);
Order of Lenin (posthumously);
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR (posthumously).

Perpetuation of memory
Named after Viktor Patsaev:

a crater on the moon;
minor planet No. 1791 Patsayev;
scientific research vessel "Cosmonaut Viktor Patsaev";
streets and avenues in many cities;
schools and educational institutions.