Obituaries

[pbrower2a]

Now for a "flier" who went far further, and lived to a ripe old age:


Vladimir Aleksandrovich Shatalov (Russian: Владимир Александрович Шаталов; December 8, 1927 – June 15, 2021)[1] was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew three space missions of the Soyuz programme: Soyuz 4, Soyuz 8, and Soyuz 10.[2]

Shatalov was born in Petropavlovsk. His father, Aleksandr Borisovich Shatalov, was recipient of the Hero of Socialist Labour. In 1941, Shatalov graduated 6th Grade Secondary School №4 in Leningrad. During his school years, Shatalov was engaged in aircraft modeling in the Pioneers Palace. In 1941, he took part in the Defence of Leningrad for a month and a half, along with his father at the "Svyazrem-1" repair and restoration train. Shatalov went back to Petropavlovsk where his family left for evacuation. In 1943, Shatalov graduated from the seven-year school in Petropavlovsk.[3]
In early 1945, Shatalov graduated from the 6th Voronezh Air Force Special School, which he was evacuated to Karaganda, followed by Lipetsk. In July 1945, Shatalov entered the 8th Military Aviation School for initial training of pilots. However, in August 1945, the school had closed. Shatalov continued his studies at the Kachinsk Military Aviation School, which was situated in Michurinsk, Tambov Region at the time. In 1949, Shatalov graduated from college with first category and became a pilot. From September 7, 1949, Shatalov served as an instructor pilot, and from June 14, 1951, served as an instructor pilot in piloting techniques of the 706th Training Aviation Regiment of the Kachinsk MAS. From December 12, 1951, Shatalov served as an instructor pilot for the combat use of the 706th TAR.

In 1956, Shatalov graduated from the command faculty of the Gagarin Air Force Academy. From November 1956, Shatalov served as deputy squadron commander, then later - squadron commander, and from May 1960 - deputy commander of an aviation regiment in combat units of the Air Force. From February 1961, Shatalov served as a senior inspector-pilot of the combat training department of the 48th Air Army of the Odessa Military District. Shatalov was a master on multiple aircraft, mostly the Yak and MiG aircraft. The total flight time by the time of enrollment in the cosmonaut corps was more than 2,500 hours.

By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force №14 on January 10, 1963, Shatalov was enrolled in the Cosmonaut Training Center as a listener-cosmonaut. From January 1963 to January 1965, Shatalov underwent general space training. He studied the systems, design and operating rules of the spacecraft Vostok ZA, Voskhod, Voskhod 2, and Soyuz. On January 13, 1965, after passing the exams, Shatalov was qualified as an Air Force cosmonaut. On January 23, 1965, Shatalov was appointed cosmonaut of the 2nd Detachment (Military Space Programs).
Shatalov has been in space three times. He made his first flight on January 14, 1969 on the Soyuz-4 spacecraft. It was the first to carry out manual rendezvous and docking with Soyuz-5. With his participation, for the first time in the world, an experimental space station was created and the transition through open space of cosmonauts Aleksei Yeliseyev and Yevgeny Khrunov from the Soyuz-5 spacecraft to the Soyuz-4 was carried out.[4][5]
From June 25, 1971, Shatalov served as Assistant to the Air Force Commander-in-Chief for Space Flight Preparation and Support (Deputy Air Force Commander for Space). From 1971 to 1991, Shatalov was a member of the State Commission on Manned Space Flights. On April 28, 1972 he defended his dissertation at the Gagarin Academy, and received the degree of candidate of technical sciences. In 1980, Shatalov was a consultant for the science fiction film Per Aspera Ad Astra. From January 3, 1987 to September 19, 1991, Shatalov served as the Commander of the Cosmonaut Training Center. By the decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 9, 1992, Shatalov was transferred to the reserve on May 21, 1992.
In his life, Shatalov was married to Musa Andreyevna Ionova, and together they had two children named Igor Vladimirovich Shatalov and Yelena Vladimirovna Shatalova.[6]

Shatalov died on June 15, 2021, at age 93.[7] His funeral took commence on June 17, 2021.[8]

Honours and awards[edit]

• Twice Hero of the Soviet Union
  
  • №10713 - (January 22, 1969)
    
  • №85 - (October 22, 1969)
    
  
  
• Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR (January 22, 1969)
  
• Order For Merit to the Fatherland 4th class (February 4, 2000)
  
• Order of Friendship (December 4, 2011)
  
• Three Orders of Lenin
  • №400926 - (January 22, 1969)
    
  • (April 30, 1971)
    
  • (January 15, 1976)
    
  
  
  
• Order of the October Revolution (December 27, 1982)
  
• Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 3rd class (February 22, 1989)
  
• Medal for Battle Merit (December 30, 1952)
  
• Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" (~1943)
  
• Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (~1945)
  
• Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands" (~1969)
  
• Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation", (May 24, 1982)
  
• Several commemoration awards

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A crater on the Moon is named after him. Three Orders of Lenin  and two awards as "Hero of the Soviet Union" suggest that one gets super-strong approval from the State if one is not a mere political hack. 

 I am surprised that we did not award him a Medal of Freedom. Sure, he was likely a Commie, but space is neutral. More fitting than the late "Rash Libel"