Georgy Dobrovolsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Georgy Dobrovolsky
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| Born |
Georgy Timofeyevich Dobrovolsky
1 June 1928 Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
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| Died | 30 June 1971 (aged 43) Soyuz 11, Outer space
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| Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis |
| Nationality | Soviet |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Lenin |
| Space career | |
| Rank | Podpolkovnik, Soviet Air Force |
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Time in space
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23d 18h 21m |
| Selection | Air Force Group 2 |
| Missions | Soyuz 11 |
Georgy Timofeyevich Dobrovolsky (Russian: Георгий Тимофеевич Добровольский; 1 June 1928 – 30 June 1971) was a brave Soviet cosmonaut. A cosmonaut is a person trained to travel into space. He was the commander of the three-person crew on the Soyuz 11 spacecraft.
This mission was very important. Georgy and his crewmates became the first people to live on a space station. Their space station was called Salyut 1. Sadly, Georgy and his crewmates died during their return to Earth. This happened because a valve accidentally opened, letting the air out of their capsule. They were the first and only humans to die in space.
Georgy Dobrovolsky's Space Journey
Georgy Dobrovolsky flew on the Soyuz 11 mission with two other cosmonauts, Viktor Patsayev and Vladislav Volkov. Their flight was a major step in space exploration. They successfully docked with and spent time inside the Salyut 1 space station. This showed that humans could live and work in space for longer periods.
The Tragic Return
After their mission, the Soyuz 11 capsule began its journey back to Earth. The re-entry into Earth's atmosphere seemed normal. However, when the capsule landed and was opened, the crew was found to have passed away.
Investigators later discovered what went wrong. A small valve in the spacecraft had opened just before they left orbit. This valve allowed the air inside the capsule to escape into the vacuum of space. The crew quickly lost the air they needed to breathe, which led to their deaths.
Honoring a Hero
Georgy Dobrovolsky's ashes were placed in an urn. This urn is located in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis in Red Square in Moscow. This is a very important burial site in Russia.
Many important people attended his funeral. Among them were other famous cosmonauts like Alexei Leonov and Vladimir Shatalov. An American astronaut, Thomas P. Stafford, was also there to pay his respects.
After his death, Georgy Dobrovolsky received several high honors. He was given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. This is one of the highest awards in the Soviet Union. He also received the Order of Lenin and the title of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR. These awards recognized his bravery and his important contributions to space exploration.
