Viktor Patsayev

views updated

Viktor Patsayev

1933-1971

Soviet engineer and cosmonaut who was test engineer of the first crew to live aboard a space station. Patsayev joined the Korolev spacecraft design bureau as an engineer in 1957. He worked extensively on the design of Salyut 1, the world's first station, and spent 23 days in space as a member of its first crew. He died, along with flight engineer Vladislav Volkov and mission commander Georgy Dobrovolsky, when the spacecraft returning them to Earth depressurized.