Georgy Beregovoy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Georgy Beregovoy
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| Born | 15 April 1921 |
| Died | 30 June 1995 (aged 74) Moscow, Russia
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| Occupation | Pilot |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union (twice) |
| Space career | |
| Cosmonaut | |
| Rank | Lieutenant General, Soviet Air Forces (1938–1987) |
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Time in space
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3d 22h 50m |
| Selection | 1962 |
| Missions | Soyuz 3 |
| Retirement | 1987 |
Georgy Timofeyevich Beregovoy (born April 15, 1921 – died June 30, 1995) was a brave Soviet cosmonaut. He became famous for commanding the space mission Soyuz 3 in 1968. He was 47 years old when he flew into space, making him the earliest-born person to orbit Earth. After his space flight, he led the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center from 1972 to 1987, helping to train future cosmonauts.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Georgy Beregovoy was born on April 15, 1921, in Fedorivka, a village in what is now Ukraine. His father worked on the railways. Georgy had two older brothers. One of them, Viktor, was also a pilot.
Georgy finished school in 1938. In 1941, he joined the Soviet Air Forces. During World War II, he flew about 185 combat missions, flying a plane called the Ilyushin Il-2 "Shturmovik." He quickly rose through the ranks and ended the war as a captain. His commander, Nikolai Kamanin, later became very important in the Soviet space program.
After the war, Georgy became a test pilot. This meant he flew new aircraft to see how well they worked. Over 16 years, he tested about 60 different planes! He became a colonel and a deputy chief in the air force's flight-testing department. In 1956, he graduated from the Air Force Academy.
Becoming a Cosmonaut
In 1962, Georgy Beregovoy applied to become a cosmonaut. His former commander, General Kamanin, supported him, and he was accepted for training.
He was supposed to fly on a mission called Voskhod 3 in 1966, but that mission was never launched.
Space Flight: Soyuz 3
On October 25, 1968, Georgy Beregovoy finally went into outer space aboard the Soyuz 3 spacecraft. He orbited Earth for almost four days, reaching an altitude of up to 252 kilometers (about 156 miles).
During his mission, Georgy tried to connect his spacecraft with an unmanned satellite called Soyuz 2. He managed to bring his craft very close to Soyuz 2 twice, but he couldn't make a physical connection. Even so, his flight was a big step forward for the Soviet space program.
When he returned to Earth on October 30, 1968, Georgy was celebrated as a hero. Soyuz 3 was his only space flight. Soon after, he retired from active flying duty and was promoted to Major General.
Life After Space
In 1969, Georgy Beregovoy was slightly injured during an event honoring the Soviet cosmonaut team.
Later that year, he traveled to the United States as a guest of NASA. He visited many cities and even Disneyland in California. He was joined by American astronauts like Eugene Cernan and Neil Armstrong. They had a great time, making new international friends.
Georgy then took on an important role at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center. In 1972, he became the Director of this center, where he helped train many future cosmonauts.
He also became a member of the Soviet parliament, representing the Donbas region of Ukraine.
Georgy Beregovoy passed away on June 30, 1995, during heart surgery. He is buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Awards and Recognition
Georgy Beregovoy received the highest honor in the Soviet Union, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, not once, but twice!
- He first received it on October 26, 1944, for his bravery during World War II.
- He received it a second time for his amazing space flight.
This made him the only Soviet cosmonaut who was already a Hero of the Soviet Union for something else before flying into space.
He also received many other important awards, including:
- The title Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR
- Two Orders of Lenin
- Two Orders of the Red Banner
- The USSR State Prize (1981)
Internationally, Georgy Beregovoy was honored with the first Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal. This award was created in memory of the first person in space, Yuri Gagarin. Georgy received it from the International Aeronautical Federation in Finland in 1968.
In Moscow, there is a statue of Georgy Beregovoy on Cosmonauts Alley, honoring his contributions to space exploration.
See also
In Spanish: Gueorgui Beregovoi para niños
- Soyuz programme
- Soviet space program
- the official website of the city administration Baikonur - Honorary citizens of Baikonur: https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043952/http://www.baikonuradm.ru/index.php?mod=180
