12 Facts About Valery Kubasov

Valery Kubasov was involved in the development of the Mir space station.

Valery Kubasov retired from the Russian space program in November 1993 and was later deputy director of RKK Energia.

Valery Kubasov was part of the crew that was originally intended to fly Soyuz 2, which was found to have the same faulty parachute sensor that resulted in Vladimir Komarov's death on Soyuz 1 and was later launched without a crew.

Valery Kubasov was born 7 January 1935, in Vyazniki, Vladimir Oblast, Ivanovo Industrial Oblast, RSFSR, now Vladimir Oblast, Russia.

Valery Kubasov authored several studies on the calculation of spaceship trajectories, and acquired a Master of Science degree in Engineering.

In May 1964, while working for Korolev, Valery Kubasov became one of a handful of civilian candidates who passed preliminary medical screening for one of the Soviet Voskhod missions.

Samples of stainless steel and titanium were welded together, then cut, after which the hatches were opened for Valery Kubasov to perform a hand-held welding.

In 1971 Valery Kubasov was almost launched aboard the ill-fated Soyuz 11 mission, he was among the prime crew alongside Alexei Leonov.

Valery Kubasov spent several hours in the Apollo command and docking modules.

Valery Kubasov died in Moscow of natural causes on 19 February 2014, at the age of 79.

Valery Kubasov was survived by his wife Lyudmila Kurovskaya, daughter Ekaterina and son Dmitry.

Valery Kubasov was an honorary citizen of the following cities: Vyazniki, Kaluga, Vladimir, Karaganda, Arkalyk, New York City, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Nashville, and Salt Lake City.