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  • © 2014

Voices of the Soviet Space Program

Cosmonauts, Soldiers, and Engineers Who Took the USSR into Space

Palgrave Macmillan

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Table of contents (14 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
  2. Introduction

    1. Introduction

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 1-15
  3. The Soldiers

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 17-17
    2. Commanding Officer Abram Krayzman

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 19-26
    3. Construction Engineer Sergey Safro

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 27-35
  4. The Engineers

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 37-37
    2. Engine Designer Anatoliy Daron

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 39-65
    3. Guidance Engineer Sergei Khrushchev

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 67-76
    4. Control Engineer Georgiy Priss

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 77-98
    5. Radio Engineer Felix Meschansky

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 99-106
    6. Display Designer Yuriy Tyapchenko

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 107-125
    7. Computer Designer Viktor Przhiyalkovskiy

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 127-140
  5. The Cosmonauts

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 141-141
    2. “Cosmonaut 13”: Vladimir Shatalov

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 143-178
    3. Test Cosmonaut Mikhail Burdayev

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 179-203
    4. Scientist Cosmonaut Ordinard Kolomiytsev

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 205-215
    5. “Second Backup”: Valentina Ponomareva

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 217-235
    6. Stress Psychiatrist Ada Ordyanskaya

      • Slava Gerovitch
      Pages 237-241
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 243-305

About this book

In this remarkable oral history, Slava Gerovitch presents interviews with the men and women who witnessed Soviet space efforts firsthand. Rather than comprising a "master narrative," these fascinating and varied accounts bring to light the often divergent perspectives, experiences, and institutional cultures that defined the Soviet space program.

Reviews

“Voices of the Soviet Space Program unites an invaluable collection of individual experiences and personal viewpoints. The impressive successes of the space program did elicit real 'cosmic enthusiasm,' especially among the young but also among the known and unknown participants in the Soviet space program.” (Julia Richers, Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History, Vol. 18 (4), 2017)


“Slava Gerovitch  … has published a fascinating primary source in Voices of the Soviet Space Program. This book consists of thirteen interviews with cosmonauts, soldiers, and engineers that Gerovitch … conducted from 2002 to 2010 over several oral history projects. … The interviews enable the reader to learn about the beginnings of the Soviet space program … . This is an important contribution to space history, cold war history, the history of the USSR, and the history of technology.” (Paul Josephson, Technology and Culture, Vol. 57, April, 2016)

“Slava Gerovitch … has assembled here a vibrant collection of thirteen interviews that he conducted with Russian space personalities in the U.S. and Russia between 2002 and 2010. … This is all a rare and welcome achievement in the literature. … In sum, this excellent book reveals new facts and insights on the personal, institutional, technical, and political facets of Soviet rocketry and spaceflight policies and practices between the Second World War and the end of the Cold War.” (Michael G. Smith, Slavic Review, Vol. 75 (2), Summer, 2016)

About the author

Slava Gerovitch is Lecturer in History of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access