Oleg Makarov
Encyclopedia
Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov (January 6, 1933 – May 28, 2003) was a Soviet
cosmonaut
.
Makarov was born in Udomlya
, Tver Oblast
, USSR. He graduated from Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School in 1957 and started working at the Special Design Bureau Number One (which is now RSC Energia) as an engineer, working on the Vostok
spacecraft. In 1966, he was selected for cosmonaut training.
At first he did work on the Soviet lunar program and was training with Aleksei Leonov
for a circumlunar flight. After the success of Apollo 8
, however, the flight was cancelled.
His first spaceflight was Soyuz 12
in 1973, a test flight to check the changes made to the Soyuz spacecraft
after the Soyuz 11
disaster. His second flight was the abortive Soyuz 18a
that made an emergency landing in the Altay Mountains
, 21 minutes after launch. With his third launch on Soyuz 27
he flew to space station Salyut 6
and landed five days later with the Soyuz 26
spacecraft. His last mission was Soyuz T-3
, during which several repairs on Salyut 6 were done. He was also in backup crews for Soyuz 17
and Soyuz T-2
. Altogether he spent 20 days, 17 hours, and 44 minutes in space.
After his final spaceflight he continued to work for Energia, both in the Mir
space station program as well as the Energia-Buran
development.
Among other decorations he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union
twice, and the Order of Lenin
four times.
He died in Moscow, Russia, in 2003 from a heart attack
.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
cosmonaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
.
Makarov was born in Udomlya
Udomlya
Udomlya is a town and the administrative center of Udomelsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located north of Tver, on the Rybinsk–Bologoye railway. Population:...
, Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Population: Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno...
, USSR. He graduated from Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School in 1957 and started working at the Special Design Bureau Number One (which is now RSC Energia) as an engineer, working on the Vostok
Vostok spacecraft
The Vostok was a type of spacecraft built by the Soviet Union. The first human spaceflight in history was accomplished on this spacecraft on April 12, 1961, by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin....
spacecraft. In 1966, he was selected for cosmonaut training.
At first he did work on the Soviet lunar program and was training with Aleksei Leonov
Aleksei Leonov
Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov is a retired Soviet/Russian cosmonaut and Air Force Major General who, on 18 March 1965, became the first human to conduct a space walk.-Biography:...
for a circumlunar flight. After the success of Apollo 8
Apollo 8
Apollo 8, the second manned mission in the American Apollo space program, was the first human spaceflight to leave Earth orbit; the first to be captured by and escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first crewed voyage to return to Earth from another celestial...
, however, the flight was cancelled.
His first spaceflight was Soyuz 12
Soyuz 12
Soyuz 12 was a 1973 manned test flight by the Soviet Union of the newly-redesigned Soyuz 7K-T spacecraft that was intended to provide greater crew safety in the wake of the Soyuz 11 tragedy. The flight marked the return of the Soviets to manned space operations after the 1971 accident...
in 1973, a test flight to check the changes made to the Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz , Union) is a series of spacecraft initially designed for the Soviet space programme by the Korolyov Design Bureau in the 1960s, and still in service today...
after the Soyuz 11
Soyuz 11
Soyuz 11 was the first manned mission to arrive at the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The mission arrived at the space station on June 7, 1971 and departed on June 30, 1971. The mission ended in disaster when the crew capsule depressurized during preparations for re-entry, killing the...
disaster. His second flight was the abortive Soyuz 18a
Soyuz 18a
Soyuz 18a was a manned Soyuz spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union in 1975, intended to dock with the orbiting Salyut 4 space station, but which failed to achieve orbit due to a serious malfunction during launch...
that made an emergency landing in the Altay Mountains
Altay Mountains
The Altai Mountains are a mountain range in East-Central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their sources. The Altai Mountains are known as the original locus of the speakers of Turkic as well as other members of the proposed...
, 21 minutes after launch. With his third launch on Soyuz 27
Soyuz 27
Soyuz 27 was a 1978 Soviet manned spacecraft which flew to the orbiting Salyut 6 space station, during the mission EP-1. It was the third manned flight to the station, and the second successful docking...
he flew to space station Salyut 6
Salyut 6
Salyut 6 , DOS-5, was a Soviet orbital space station, the eighth flown as part of the Salyut programme. Launched on 29 September 1977 by a Proton rocket, the station was the first of the 'second-generation' type of space station. Salyut 6 possessed several revolutionary advances over the earlier...
and landed five days later with the Soyuz 26
Soyuz 26
Soyuz 26 was Soviet manned mission, used to launch the crew of Salyut 6 EO-1, the first long duration crew on the space station Salyut 6.The Soyuz spacecraft was launched on December 10, 1977, and docked with the space station the next day...
spacecraft. His last mission was Soyuz T-3
Soyuz T-3
-Backup crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: 6850 kg*Perigee: 200 km*Apogee: 251 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 88.7 minutes-Mission highlights:...
, during which several repairs on Salyut 6 were done. He was also in backup crews for Soyuz 17
Soyuz 17
Soyuz 17 was the first of two long-duration missions to the Soviet Union's Salyut 4 space station in 1975. The flight set a Soviet mission-duration record of 29 days, surpassing the 23-day record set by the ill-fated Soyuz 11 crew aboard Salyut 1 in 1971....
and Soyuz T-2
Soyuz T-2
Soyuz T-2 was a 1980 Soviet manned space flight to the Salyut 6 space station. It was the 12th mission to and 10th successful docking at the orbiting facility. The Soyuz T-2 crew were the second to visit the long-duration Soyuz 35 resident crew....
. Altogether he spent 20 days, 17 hours, and 44 minutes in space.
After his final spaceflight he continued to work for Energia, both in the Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
space station program as well as the Energia-Buran
Shuttle Buran
The Buran spacecraft , GRAU index 11F35 K1 was a Russian orbital vehicle analogous in function and design to the US Space Shuttle and developed by Chief Designer Gleb Lozino-Lozinskiy of Energia rocket corporation...
development.
Among other decorations he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
twice, and the Order of Lenin
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
four times.
He died in Moscow, Russia, in 2003 from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.