Mar 182011
An article here:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/03/18/134597833/cosmonaut-crashed-into-earth-crying-in-rage?ft=1&f=1026
http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/03/18/134597833/cosmonaut-crashed-into-earth-crying-in-rage?ft=1&f=1026
Has the last, really unpleasant open-casket photo of Soviet Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov… and further down, an audio recording of his last words. Would any Russian-speakers be interested in translating?
The article (which, coming as it does from NPR, somehow fails to blame everything on Republicans) describes the forthcoming book Starman by Jamie Doran and Piers Bizony. Komarov seems to come across as a certifiable hero, while the Soviet governmental system comes across as a nightmare (again, surprising coming from NPR). Komarov apparently knew he was doomed *before* he even got in the capsule… and he only did so because if he had refused, the Soviets would have tossed in the backup cosmonaut, one Yuri Gagarin. Komarov’s last conversation (with Alexsei Kosygin) is described as him yelling that he’s been murdered.
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Funny coincedence that when Laika, the space dog went up in that R-7
that they knew that he wasn’t going to come back alive either.
The bastards that ran the Soviet Union did not deserve the men who served it.
Well, so much for accuracy.
From that article:
“The plan was to launch a capsule, the Soyuz 1, with Komarov inside. The next day, a second vehicle would take off, with two additional cosmonauts; the two vehicles would meet, dock, Komarov would crawl from one vehicle to the other, exchanging places with a colleague, and come home in the second ship. It would be, Brezhnev hoped, a Soviet triumph on the 50th anniversary of the Communist revolution. Brezhnev made it very clear he wanted this to happen.”
That’s not how it was supposed to work; two of the _three_ cosmonauts from Soyuz 2 were supposed to EVA over to Soyuz 1 and join Komarov and they then would all three land together.
The two EVA cosmonauts on Soyuz 2 were to be Yevgeny Khrunov and Aleksei Yeliseyev: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_2A
The Soyuz 1/2 mission, just like the later 4/5, which actually did this mission profile, had no way for the cosmonauts to pass through the docking assembly, so they had to spacewalk from one orbital module’s side hatch to the other to board the other spacecraft, using the orbital modules as airlocks.
I don’t even know if a single cosmonaut could don one of two EVA suits stored in the Soyuz 2 orbital module without the other cosmonaut helping him. They didn’t wear pressure suits during ascent or landing as the Soyuz reentry module wasn’t big enough to hold three crew in pressure suits of the type they had at the time.
Info on the intercepted conversations between Komarov and the ground here: http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Soyuz1Land/Soyanaly.htm
Audio recording of Komarov’s last words was declassified here in 2002. It has nothing common with bullshit I hear in article’s audio.
transcript http://www.kp.ru/daily/22512/16042/
Flateric wrote:
“Audio recording of Komarov’s last words was declassified here in 2002. It has nothing common with bullshit I hear in article’s audio.
transcript http://www.kp.ru/daily/22512/16042/ ”
Any English translation of that availible?
I’ll hate to see what Babelfish will do to it, but here goes nothing:
http://tinyurl.com/4db5mlx
“You breathe more deeply”, advised “the Earth” the cosmonaut before the loss
Alexander [MILKUS] – 16.03.2002
Today would be carried out 75 years to cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. It perished on April 24, 1967 with the landing of ship “Soyuz-1”. “Member of the Komsomol” for the first time publishes the declassified text of the negotiations of cosmonaut with [TsUPom] for a few minutes to the tragedy I represent, as all this was then, 35 years ago. Komarov has anniversary – 40. Life is so healthy it is added! It – one of “the old men” of the first collection of cosmonauts. He commanded “the rise”, in which the crew for the first time flew without the diving-dresses and sat down himself inside the ship, but not separately by the parachute, as it was in “the east”.
Entirely soon – one additional start. Testing new ship. Program is steep. Following the [komarovskim] it starts “Soyuz-2” with Bykovskiy, [Eliseevym] and [Khrunovym]. Then jointing. Yelisey and [Khrunov] they leave into open space and move into Komarov’s ship. This passage was perfected not without purpose: there was idea, so that would precisely thus occupy its places crew in the ship, which is left to the Moon. It they wanted to gather directly in orbit from the modules, brought out by several rockets.
… I here on April 24. Ship in orbit. But left solar battery was not opened. It means, to ” Soyuz ” will not be sufficient energy for the maneuvers and jointing. The second trouble – [sboit] the system of ionic orientation. Ship can “become blind” and it is simple not to find road home. The third problem – does not work sun-star sensor.
The start “of union -2” is abolished. “Soyuz-1” it is necessary to urgently return to the earth…
I further lead the interpretation of the negotiations “of the earth” (call “Zarya”) and cosmonaut (call “ruby”).
the 14th turn
– “Zarya”, “Zarya”, I am “ruby”. 3 hours 48 minutes. In by right illuminator I see the unopened solar battery…
– You understood, method…
– I see the earth, not overcast, the horizon… Solar battery is directed by back side to the side of the sun.
(Komarov already understood – flight program cannot be run. It even knocked by foot on the wall of ship in that place, where battery is fastened. Maybe, it did soak it will be opened? Alas…)
the 16th turn
– “Zarya -3”, I am “ruby”. It transferred entire equipment here, into the ship… Hatch manhole is closed. Aboard order, as they speak. The parameters of cab are the following: pressure by 800, temperature 17,5.
– Be prepared for the final procedures. Everything goes normally, everything is quiet…
– “Zarya”, I am “ruby”. It understood you. On the 17th automatic release with the ionic orientation…
(To get down ship they decided on the 17th turn, nevertheless hoping for the ionic orientation. On the control center the second day are people without the sleep. Manufacture new instructions for the cosmonaut.)
– “Ruby”, all commands to you onboard passed normally.
– He understood.
– We wait you on the Earth, by road. “Cedar”.
(In conversation is included the understudy Komarov Yuri Gagarin. This is his call “cedar”.)
– To the encounter!
– We give collation of time. (They sound the signals “of [pip]-[pip]-[pip]”.)
– Correction on the time minus is one second.
– It is excellent. To you it transported with the hours. Good placed. Do not forget as one should more tightly tie- fasten before the entrance into the dense…
– From the equipment of scientific I chronograph only took…
– To his memory you will bring… Here comrades transfer hot- hot regards, best wishes to soft, to you, grow prettier landing.
– The many thanks. It remained to the encounter a little, soon let us be seen. I desire to you the successes in everything.
But on the 17th turn ship correct to orient it is not obtained. Ring-off of descent! Before the complete devastation of energy reserves remain hour three. To prepare descent on the 18th turn “earth” does not manage…
the 18th turn
– I “Zarya -10”. I give data of hand trigger. Turn of the 19th. Ballistic. Do not hurry. Refine orientation slowly. Everything must be normally.
(In cosmonaut remains one hope to return to the earth – to by hand orient ship. Descent will be steeper abrupt, overload – stronger. To this version of cosmonauts even they did not train…)
– I all wonderfully understood. I know, what is to be done. Everything will be normally. I “ruby”, do not hear you…
– “Ruby”, I “Zarya”. Here damage in the ground-based communication channel…
(In conversation is included Vasiliy [Mishin]. He is appointed as chief designer after Korolev’s death. His the call “twentieth”.)
– “Twentieth”, you wonderfully understood. I do not worry, I am not disturbed. I will work according to program…
– “Ruby” as health, as mood?
– Health is outstanding. Mood is good. Life-support system worked wonderfully.
– Very rad we everything are assured that in you everything will be good. Work quietly. With the descent try to conduct reporting. It can be, will be here something audible.
– I am “ruby”. In the minute I include orientation.
– He understood. We end connection with you, we will not interfere with your work. Give, work…
– I worry, time will be sufficient for the orientation…
the 19th turn
Recent minutes in orbit.
– “Ruby”, I “Zarya -10”. I cause to the connection…
– Engine worked 146 seconds. Normally everything goes. Everything goes normally! Ship was oriented correctly. (In Komarov’s voice they are heard glad notes.) I am located in the average armchair. It tied by belts.
– As health?
– Health is outstanding. Everything in the order.
– Here here comrades recommend to breathe more deeply. We wait on the landing…
– Thanks. Transmit to all. It occurred once…
(Is intended the separation of the sections of ship. ” Soyuz ” enters into the dense layers of the atmosphere).
Komarov’s voice breaks itself on this. Audibly, as on the control center operators, changing each other, attempt to again fix connection with the ship:
– “Ruby”, I “Zarya”. We do not hear you. How you do hear us? Method… Method… Method… Method…
SELECTION OF THE FLIGHT
However, what did occur with “the union -1”?
At the height of approximately 10 kilometers above the Earth in ” Soyuz ” fires back the cover of parachute container, carrying along after itself drogue chute. That drags brake parachute. But already brake, as if in the fairy tale about [repku], it must extend from the container large basic cupola. This exactly and it did not occur. ” Soyuz “, somersaulting, fell…
The auxiliary chute is provided for this case. But because of the rotation of ship its slings interlaced and they ” suffocated” rescue cupola.
Why thus it occurred, tens of commissions explained. The models of the descent vehicles were dropped from the helicopter, attempting to model situation. But parachute system operated every time.
Only in the recently published book of recollections designer Boris [Chertok] gives the most plausible version. With the preparation of ” Soyuz ” of Komarov and [Bykovskiy] they hurried. The covers of parachute containers were not prepared in time, and now no longer to explain how as in reality were closed containers… Here such a one!
“If on “the union -1” were opened both solar batteries and there was no failure of sensors, would take place launching “union -2”, writes further Boris [Chertok]. – After jointing Of [khrunov] and Yelisey they would pass into Komarov’s ship. In this case they would perish three together, and only later with the great probability could perish Bykovskiy…”
MYTHS
About which did speak Komarov in the minute to the explosion?
Legend 1.
It had time to be requested
Many rumors walk on the recent minutes of Komarov. Allegedly, after considering, that the loss is not avoided, it asked operator to connect with [A]. [N]. Kosygin, member of the Politbureau of the CC CPSU. “Care, if you please, about my family”. Rumor assigns this phrase to Komarov. On another version, falling, Komarov satiated ether by selected mat and curses in the address of that CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union) herself, management by which insisted on the starting of still “damp” ship. This delirium is presented in one of the American books on the history of Soviet space.
Legend 2.
Secret of the tape recorder
In reality there is no official evidence about the fact that it made and that spoke Komarov in the recent, dying minutes. Proof to that – simple calculation. The record of negotiations breaks itself at the moment of the separation of the sections of ” Soyuz “. Ship entered into the dense layers of the atmosphere, where the stormy plasma dissipates any radio waves. Connection is restored usually already after the disclosure of the parachute, on slings of which are derived the antennas. In Komarov the parachute “of [pogas]”, and also, therefore, of antenna “they kept silent”.
Yes, in the ship there was tape recorder, and it could tape record its theoretically last words. But ship tore after the impact about the earth, occurred terrible explosion. Several been charred fragments remained from the body of cosmonaut. Melted even tightly sealed “black box”. Could in this emergency survive tape recording film?
60 recent seconds
Now about “recent minutes”. To consider, which occurs wrong, Komarov could only after he understood: main parachute was not opened. I.e., height of approximately 9 kilometers. But hope for auxiliary chute remained. It had to be opened on 6 kilometers.
I.e., then cosmonaut understood: everything, [kranty]. Rate of the fall of ship – about 100 meters per second. It means, from the moment of realizing [neminuemosti] of loss to the explosion could pass not more than 60- 70 seconds. I think, the most experienced tester spent hardly this last his minute on commonplace profanities. Gnats it was not similar. It is confident – to last second it attempted to find way out in order to save ship and itself.
Okay, let’s try that again with Google translate:
http://tinyurl.com/4kwvtvp
That’s better, but we’re still a long way from Star Trek’s universal translator.
[…] I mentioned HERE, NPR ran an article describing the last moments/last words of cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov as […]
As far as I know “Starman” by Doran and Bizony has been published in 1998 by Bloomsbury. I happen to have that book on the shelve since then. A good read indeed. But 12 years old already.
What’s with attacks on NPR for solid reporting — breaking this extremely important story in the English-language press? Flannery: You throw around the term “EVAing over” as though it were a household word when, in actuality, few people know what the hell your point is. You right wing braniacs need to wake up to the limitations of real-world reporters. They have to make things decipherable to the average guy. Flannery, you seem to be contending that the NPR report confused which craft the astronauts were supposed to transfer into. Congratulations. But a relatively minor mistake without bearing on the thrust of the story. Parabarbarian’s point seems to be: Them evil, Us good. Brezhnev was obviously a dope. But rather than condemn all Soviet leaders as “bastards,” how about a nuanced debate about conditions that would stop an obviously distraught Kosygin from doing something? Guess what, we have bastards in our government too.
> What’s with attacks on NPR for solid reporting
The “problem” is that it seems that this report is solidly *wrong.*
Showing your bias a little with all the jabs at NPR. Why not just cover the story without adding in all the stupid bits ignorantly trying to paint NPR as evil pinko commies? That’s just as bad as people painting fox news as fascists and totalitarians.