In 1984, the Russian woman has proven that not only can go into a burning house, and go into outer space. In 2016, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Svetlana Savitskaya is included in the "top ten" list of the Communist Party in the elections to the State Duma. "Arguments and Facts" talked about the remarkable feat of Soviet female cosmonaut.
Space - not for women?
The main race for the "big prizes space" between the USSR and the United States ended in the mid-1970s. The first satellite, the first cosmonaut, first female cosmonaut, the first spacewalk - all these "trophies" were left behind by the Soviet Union. US recouped, first landed on the moon.
However, the space programs of the two countries, though moving in different ways, is no without looking at each other.
In the early 1980s in the Soviet Union and the United States remembered the "prize", which remained Unresolved - the first woman in the output space.
Actually, the Soviet Union was about to carry out such a mission as early as the years 1966-1967. Spacecraft "Voskhod-4" was to deliver into orbit an all-female crew - Valentina Ponomareva and Irina Soloviev. The last had just become the first woman in space.
But the program "Sunrise" turned off after the second run, and the idea of leaving a woman in an outdoor aside.
Ladies get to the stars in the 1970s, it was difficult in the Soviet Union and the United States. The seats in the carriages were few, and the astronauts male "mashed" ladies. In the Soviet Union, and all distrust persisted for many years to women in space caused by the not too successful flight of Valentina Tereshkova.
American women were approximately the same position, but for them, everything changed with the start of the program "Space Shuttle". The seven-seat vehicles began to provide women in the crew on a regular basis. As for the Russians, they are today in space virtually no fly - in the fall 2014 scheduled flight just the fourth of our compatriots more than half a century the history of manned space flight.
The daughter of his father
Turn the tide in the late 1970s - early 1980s attempted to general designer Valentin Glushko, who considered women's flights into orbit reasonable practice.
Largely due to his support in the cosmonaut few girls were included, including Svetlana Savitskaya.
Competition in the astronaut tough, and among women it is at all fierce. Therefore behind Savitskaya became the second woman in the USSR, fly space, until now there is talk about what she has achieved this right is not so much because of his ability, but because of the family ties.
"Well, of course," Marshal daughter "were sent into space," - gossiping gossips.
Savitskaya really - a real marshal daughter. Her father, Eugene Y. Sawicki, yet in 1961 he became Marshal. However, his path to the title was not covered with carpet. During World War II pilot with the call sign "Dragon" personally shot down 22 enemy planes and skillfully directed the actions of the Air Corps, for which he was twice awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Nor was Evgeny Savitsky "parquet general" and in the postwar period. Suffice it to say that it remained in force military pilot of 70 years, piloting the latest aircraft models.
Interestingly, the wife of Eugene Savitsky, Lydia, was a military lёtchitsey.
To be worthy of such parents is difficult, but Svetlana Savitskaya coped with this task in full.
Genes literally dragged her into the sky. She graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute, Kaluga aviation flight-technical school. In 1970, she became the absolute champion of the world aerobatics on piston aircraft, on account of its three world records in the group parachuting from the stratosphere and nine world records in jet aircraft.
By the way, when Svetlana announced its intention to become a pilot of the latest jet aircraft, even dad timidly tried to doubt that my daughter will. But Svetlana Savitskaya everything turned out brilliantly.
She became one of the few women in the country who have mastered the profession of a test pilot. No wonder that Savitskaya was among the candidates for a flight into space - a similar level of professionals and men can be counted on the fingers.
So pull here at anything - Svetlana Savitskaya its "stellar road" paved itself. August 19, 1982, she went into space on board the "Soyuz T-7" together Leonid Popov and Alexander Serebrova in the so-called "visiting mission" to the station "Salyut-7". Nearly eight-day flight was a success.
"May I go out?"
It is in this flight from Savitskaya, according to her, there was a woman gets the idea to open space. And she fought not for his personal priority - after Savitskaya in a three-month flight was scheduled to depart, Irina Pronina, which would carry out this mission.
However, the leadership, which Savitskaya after returning to Earth outlined his idea, treated it with skepticism. It is difficult, they say, it is difficult for women, and has no practical meaning.
In addition, Irina Pronina into space and did not hit. As already mentioned, the fight in an astronaut for a place in the carriages was fierce. Pronin ousted for reasons which today seems to be anecdotal - she was married a second time. Someone whispered leadership, it was wrong of the Soviet astronauts have such "immoral" biography. As a result of the flight Pronin removed and replaced her man.
Attitude offer Savitskaya radically changed after a few months. It is known that the output of women in open space prepared Americans. Leaders of the Soviet space program aroused - priority gone from under his nose!
In fact, to beat the Americans had very little time. Savitsky summoned and asked, "Can you, Svetlana?". Knowing the biography of the second Soviet female cosmonaut, the answer could be no doubt.
Preparation for the flight was on a whirlwind pace. At the same time it was not about to simply "put" Sawicki overboard and to report on the fact - she had to perform a full program of spacewalks to conduct the necessary work and scientific experiments.
The commander of the crew and the partner Savitskaya on spacewalk was appointed Vladimir Janibekov - one of the most experienced Soviet cosmonauts for which the flight was already the fourth.
... And I'm afraid I'm just a mouse
July 17, 1984 "Soyuz T-12" with Dzhanibekov, Savitskaya and cosmonaut-researcher Igor Volkomstartoval from Baikonur, a day later, safely docked to the "Salyut-7".
The historic moment came July 25, 1984. Janibekov Savitskaya and out into space, where spent the entire range of planned activities, cope even faster with them for three and a half hours than planned.
All this time, from the Earth carefully monitor Savitskaya, but no problems were revealed: she worked in a professional manner, in no way losing his more experienced team-mate, man.
Savitskaya not only maintained absolute calm, but also time to pereshuchivatsya with colleagues who remained inside the station. Those actively touted Svetlana ago, saying that already have prepared a festive dinner for that Savitskaya uttered: "Boys, do not be tempted, until the work is not finished, I do not come back!"
Or this exchange of remarks between Savitskaya and her comrades in the crew.
Fal (tether connecting the astronaut to the station - author's note.) Writhing like a snake! - Savitskaya said.
Not afraid? - Jokingly asked one of the astronauts.
But it's not a mouse! - Svetlana retorted.
July 29 the crew of "Soyuz T-12" returned safely to Earth. The Soviet Union took the US another priority. Svetlana Savitskaya became twice Hero of the Soviet Union, as well as her father. Marshal Yevgeny Savitsky had every right to be proud of her daughter - the names she does not disgraced.
Male to female barrier flight
The success of this flight has forced the leadership of the Soviet space program back to another idea, Vita 1960 - sending in a purely female crew space. The question of who will be its commander, did not arise. Also Savitskaya in flight had to go Dobrokvashina Elena and Ekaterina Ivanova.
Initially, flight was to take place in November 1985. The irony of fate, the women's crew start was postponed due to the early termination of the next major expedition to "Salyut-7", caused by a purely male disease (prostatitis) its commander Vladimir Vasyutin.
Then there were technical problems on the "Salyut-7", a female flight moved to the station "Mir", delayed for two years, and then completely abolished.
Svetlana Savitskaya remained in an astronaut until the autumn of 1993, but the flights did not participate more.
The next flight of the Russians into space took place only ten years after the triumphant flight Savitskaya
Source: kprf.ru