July 03

Andriyan Nikolayev was the third Soviet cosmonaut to orbit the Earth, launching aboard Vostok 3 in 1962. His 64-hour mission set a new space endurance record at the time. Later, in 1970, he commanded Soyuz 9, spending nearly 18 days in space and studying the effects of long-duration flight on the human body. A career military officer, he achieved the rank of major general in the Soviet Air Force. Nikolayev also served as a model and symbol of Soviet space achievements, participating in goodwill tours around the world. He authored memoirs and worked to mentor the next generation of cosmonauts. His contributions advanced human understanding of spaceflight endurance and physiology.