Vladimir Popovkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vladimir Popovkin
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Vladimir Popovkin
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| Native name |
Владимир Александрович Поповкин
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| Birth name | Vladimir Aleksandrovich Popovkin |
| Born | 25 September 1957 Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 18 June 2014 (aged 56) Petah Tikva, Israel |
| Allegiance |  Russia |
| Service/ |
Space Forces |
| Years of service | 1975–2009 |
| Rank | General of the Army |
| Commands held | Space Forces |
| Awards | Order of Merit for the Fatherland, Order of Military Merit... |
| Other work | Director General of Roscosmos |
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Popovkin (Russian: Владимир Александрович Поповкин; 25 September 1957 – 18 June 2014) was an important Russian military leader and space expert. He served as the head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, which is like Russia's NASA. Before that, he was a high-ranking general in the Russian military, leading the Russian Space Forces. He also held a top position as the First Deputy Defense Minister of Russia.
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Early Life and Military Career
Vladimir Popovkin was born on September 25, 1957, in Dushanbe, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His father was a soldier. In 1968, his family moved to Kalinin, where he started studying physics and math.
He joined the Soviet Army in 1975. In 1979, he graduated as an engineer from the Military-Space Academy in Leningrad.
Working at Baikonur
After finishing his studies, Popovkin worked at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. This is a famous space launch site. He held various jobs there, including engineer and head of engineering. He even served as the launch commander for Launch Pad 1, also known as Gagarin's Start. This is where the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, launched from.
Moving Up in the Military
In 1986, Popovkin got a job at the Directorate of Space Systems within the Ministry of Defence. He continued his education and graduated from the Military Academy of Strategic Rocket Forces in 1989. After that, he worked as an officer in space systems.
In 1991, he moved to Moscow to work at the General Staff. This is a very important military office that helps plan and manage military operations. He held several senior roles there.
When the Russian Space Forces were created in 2001, Vladimir Putin, who was President at the time, appointed Popovkin as its first Chief of Staff. He was a Major general at this point.
In 2004, Popovkin became the commander of the Space Forces. He was seen as a rising star in the military. In 2008, he was promoted to Chief of Armaments for the Ministry of Defense. This role involved managing military equipment and supplies. In 2009, he became a General of the Army, which is a very high rank. Soon after, he retired from the military and became a government official.
From 2010 to 2011, Popovkin served as the First Deputy Minister of Defence. Then, in April 2011, he was chosen to lead the Russian Federal Space Agency.
Leading Roscosmos
As the head of Roscosmos, Vladimir Popovkin was in charge of all of Russia's space programs.
The Fobos-Grunt Mission
One of the biggest challenges during his time at Roscosmos was the failed launch of the Fobos-Grunt mission. This mission was supposed to send a probe to Mars and its moon, Phobos. However, the spacecraft did not leave Earth's orbit properly after launch in 2011.
Popovkin first thought that the failure might have been caused by another country. Later, he suggested that a burst of cosmic radiation might have caused the computers to restart. He also mentioned that possibly fake microchips could have been the problem.
Russia later decided to work with the European Space Agency (ESA) on their ExoMars program instead of immediately trying another Fobos-Grunt mission.
Health Concerns
In March 2012, Popovkin was admitted to a hospital in Moscow. Reports said he was suffering from "physical and emotional exhaustion." There were many rumors about why he was in the hospital.
When he returned to work, Popovkin strongly denied some of the stories. He suggested that some people in the Russian space industry were spreading false information because he was trying to stop corruption. He stated that he fainted after leaving work.
ExoMars Cooperation
In April 2012, Popovkin met with the head of the European Space Agency (ESA) to talk about the ExoMars program. They signed an agreement to work together on future space missions. This showed a strong partnership between Russia and Europe in space exploration.
Awards and Personal Life
Vladimir Popovkin received several awards for his service to Russia. These included the Order of Merit for the Fatherland and the Order of Military Merit. He also received a Science and Technology Award from the Russian Government in 2005.
Popovkin was married twice and had two daughters. He passed away from cancer on June 18, 2014, in Petah Tikva, Israel.
See also
In Spanish: Vladímir Popovkin para niños
