Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev
Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev was a Soviet Air Force officer and cosmonaut who commanded Voskhod 2, the mission that carried the first human . His role is sometimes overshadowed by Alexei Leonov's EVA, but the mission depended heavily on Belyayev's command decisions.
- Born
- June 26, 1925
- Died
- January 10, 1970
- Birthplace
- Chelishchevo, Vologda Oblast,Soviet Union
Flights
1
Spacewalks
N/A
EVA time
N/A
In space
1 day, 2 hours, 2 minutes
Bio
Belyayev served as a fighter pilot before being selected in the first Soviet Air Force cosmonaut group. He brought a senior pilot's discipline to a mission that demanded calm handling of unfamiliar spacecraft systems and emergency procedures.
Voskhod 2 launched in March 1965 with Belyayev as and Leonov as pilot. After Leonov completed the first EVA, the crew faced problems, including an automatic system failure that required Belyayev to perform a manual orientation and reentry.
The spacecraft landed far from the planned area in a remote forest, and the crew had to wait for recovery in harsh conditions.