Yevgeny Ostashev facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yevgeny Ostashev
Born	Evgeny Ilyich Ostashev 22 March 1924 village Maly Vasilyev, Noginsky District, Moscow Oblast, USSR
Died	24 October 1960(1960-10-24) (aged 36) Baikonur, Kazakh SSR, USSR
Nationality	Russian

Yevgeny Ilyich Ostashev (born March 22, 1924 – died October 24, 1960) was a very important engineer and test pilot for rocket and space technology. He helped launch the first artificial Earth satellite. He was also in charge of a key testing site at Baikonur, which is a famous Spaceport. Yevgeny Ostashev won the Lenin prize and was a highly skilled engineer.

Early Life and Military Service

Yevgeny Ostashev was born on March 22, 1924, in a small village called Maly Vasilyev, near Elektrougli in the Moscow Oblast, USSR. In 1941, he started studying at the Moscow Aviation Institute. However, when World War II began, he chose to work at a local factory instead of leaving the city with his institute.

In the summer of 1942, he joined the army. He became a cadet at the Leningrad artillery school. After six months of training, he became a second lieutenant. He was then sent to the Stalingrad Front as a commander of a communications platoon. This platoon was part of a mortar company.

Yevgeny fought with a unit that was part of the 1st Ukrainian Front. He took part in big battles like the Battle of the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket. He also fought near the Dniester River and Vitebsk. Later, his unit joined the 1st Belorussian Front. In the final operation to capture Berlin, he was a commander of a mortar company. After the war ended, he stayed in Germany as part of the occupation forces.

Becoming a Rocket Engineer

In 1949, Yevgeny decided to study missiles at the Artillery Academy. He graduated with honors in the spring of 1955. He was offered a chance to continue studying, but he chose to work instead.

He was appointed as the Deputy Chief of the Department for testing R-7 rockets. This was at the NIIP-5 testing ground, which is now known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome. He received special training at factories and other test sites. This made him a very skilled expert when he arrived at NIIP-5.

Yevgeny was an expert in rocket control systems. He knew as much as the people who designed them. When the first Earth satellite was launched, Yevgeny was in charge of the "shooting" (launching) from the military test site. In March 1960, he became the first chief of the 1st control unit at NIIP-5. This unit was responsible for testing and operating R-7 and R-9 rockets.

A Childhood Dream

When Yevgeny was a student, he and his younger brother Arkady Ostashev loved learning about space. They built a telescope with a 10-times zoom. They even got the lenses for free from a magazine called Knowledge is power.

With their telescope, they observed the Moon. They both dreamed of flying to the planets in our Solar System. This early interest likely inspired Yevgeny's later work with rockets and space technology.

Tragic Death

Nedelin catastrophe Yevgeny Ostashev sadly died on October 24, 1960, in Baikonur. This happened during a terrible accident called the Nedelin catastrophe. A powerful missile called the R-16 exploded while it was being prepared for a test launch.

Yevgeny was not directly in charge of testing this specific missile. However, he went to help his colleagues when problems arose. The explosion killed 78 people. This incident was kept a secret for a long time. It was only in 1995 that details about the tragedy became public. Officially, the government only announced that Chief Marshal of Artillery Mitrofan Nedelin had died in a plane crash.

Yevgeny's younger brother, Arkady Ostashev, shared some memories. He said that just 10 days before Yevgeny's death, he was told that Yevgeny would soon be promoted to the rank of Colonel. He was also going to be appointed as the Deputy Director of NIIP-5 for scientific work.

Yevgeny Ostashev is buried in a mass grave in Baikonur. This grave is for all the victims of the R-16 missile explosion.

Awards and Recognition

Yevgeny Ostashev received several important awards for his service and contributions:

• Lenin Prize
• Order of the Patriotic War (1st and 2nd class)
• Order of the Red Star
• Medal "For Battle Merit"
• Order of Courage (given after his death)
• Various campaign and jubilee medals

Remembering Yevgeny Ostashev

Yevgeny Ostashev is remembered in many ways:

• One of the streets in Baikonur is named after him.
• At site No. 2 of the Baikonur cosmodrome, there is a special display about him in the museum.
• In 2001, he was given the title of "Honorary citizen of the city of Baikonur."
• In Elektrougli, where he was born, the local museum has a display about him and his brother.
• There is a memorial plaque on the house where the Ostashev brothers lived as children.
• A memorial plate in Elektrougli city park honors him as the head of test management at Baikonur.
• The Museum of the Strategic Missile Troops in Vlasikha has an exhibition about Yevgeny Ostashev. It covers his role in World War II and his work in the development of the space industry.

Images for kids

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  Honorary citizen of the city of Baikonur

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  Baikonur, soldier's Park, tombstone of the grave of the Ostashev brothers

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  A memorial plaque in the Park, Elektrougli the head of test management Baikonur – Ostaszewo E. I.