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| Soyuz
launch vehicle lifting off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in the late
1960's. The successful design has proved the Soyuz is one of the
world's most reliable and frequently used launch vehicles. To
date, more than 1,500 launches have been made. |
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Georgii
T. Beregovoi
Pilot-Cosmonaut
of the USSR
Edited
by: A. Bates
The youngest of three brothers, Beregovoi was born in 1921 and lived
in Enakievo, Ukraine. He grew up at a time when Soviet aviators
were
making spectacular flights, even blazing air routes over the North Pole.
Like other boys, Beregovoi
became a skilled aircraft model builder
and also thrilled at the exploits of Soviet combat pilots. In 1937,
he joined an aero club and in 1938, soloed in a Polikarpov biplane.
Later that
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| TOP:
G.T. Beregovoi in this official portrait wearing the pentagon-shaped
medal for Pilot-Cosmonaut of the U.S.S.R., alongside the medal
for Distinguished Test Pilot of the U.S.S.R. BOTTOM: Detail of
the medal for the title of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the U.S.S.R. |
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year Beregovoi entered a military flying school at Voroshilovgrad and
flew a variety of aircraft. Leaving school within 1 week of the German
attack on the USSR, he joined a combat unit equipped with a Yakovlev
bomber and trained as his squadron retreated. In late 1941, the squadron
was withdrawn and sent to retrain on a new aircraft, the Ilyushin Shturmovik
ground attack bomber. He returned to combat in the spring of 1942. On
his sixth combat flight in the Shturmovik , the aircraft was hit by
flak; he coolly guided the bomber to a landing on Red Army held territory.
His squadron excelled in attacks on German rail transport and specialized
in "locomotive busting." During the Battle of Kursk in August
1943, his aircraft was hit again; when fire began to burn his gunner's
clothing, Beregovoi and the gunner jumped at less than l000 feet. He
was hit again in March 1943, and
once more, just made it to friendly territory. On 26 October 1944, after
108 combat sorties, Beregovoi received his nation's highest award for
valor, the Gold Star and title, "Hero of the Soviet Union."
He ended the war as a squadron commander with 185 combat sorties and
had risen from sergeant
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| Soviet
postage stamp issued to commemorate Beregovoi and Soyuz-3 |
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to
captain. When the unit returned to the USSR, he became "navigator"
of a Bell P-63 King Cobra fighter unit. He later requested assignment
to test pilot school, was accepted, and gradu ated
in 1948. For the next 16 years, he tested fighters including more than
60 types developed by nearly all the Soviet design bureaus. Beregovoi
rose to Colonel, became Deputy Chief of the Test Department, and was
named "Distinguished Test Pilot of the USSR." In 1962, after
sitting in the "Vostok " spaceship, he successfully requested
assignment to the Center for Cosmonaut Preparation. After the death
of Vladimir Komarov in Soyuz 1, Beregovoi was selected to test Soyuz
3. He rocketed into space on 26 October 1968;
four days later he returned to Earth. He was named "Pilot-Cosmonaut
of the USSR" and received his second Gold Star as a "Hero
of the Soviet Union."In
1972, as a Major General, he became Director of the Center of Cosmonaut
Preparation.
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| Beregovoi
died of natural causes in 1995, and is laid to rest in Novo-Devichy
(Nowodjewchij) Cemetery in Moscow. Photo courtesy Mr. Douglas
Alberg |
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