Korolev
by James Harford · first published 1997
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Detailed biography of Sergei Korolev, the chief designer behind the Soviet space program; good as an introduction to that program and to the engineers who ran it, for readers interested in space history.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
In the late 1950s and early 1960s when the West was stunned by the space accomplishments of the Soviet Union, the identity of their "Chief Designer" was a state secret in keeping with the tradition of Russian national secrecy. It was not until his death at age 59 that the name of Sergei Korolev was revealed to the world for posthumous honor by his government. Through interviews with family members and former colleagues, Harford, executive director-emeritus, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, reveals the complex, driven personality of a man who, despite unjust imprisonment in t
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great book that goes into much more detail about the enigmatic Korolev who pretty much was the iron will behind the entire Soviet space program--even more so than his American counterparts von Braun/Webb etc. http://www.amazon.com/Korolev-Masterminded-Soviet-Drive-Amer...
on “A Cosmonaut on the Moon: Korlev’s N-1/L3 Plan” ↗This biography of the chief rocket designer of the Soviets, Sergei Korolev, is also a good introduction to the Soviet space program. https://www.amazon.com/Korolev-Masterminded-Soviet-Drive-Ame...
on “SpaceX SN9 Explodes on Landing” ↗…engineers. They could never meet the senior board of engineers who were controlling the projects, giving instructions and making decisions ... all being behind the scene! ... The James Harford's book on S. P. Korolev (the anonymous chief designer of the USSR space program) gave me a lot of insights about this.
on “Project Paperclip: Dark Side of the Moon (2005)” ↗…https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4851/1 It's like recommending a book about Apollo program written by Russians without reading any US documentation. If there has to be a western author, James Harford's Korolev biography is a better put together look into Soviet space program and actually has some proper academic reviews.
on “The Globus INK: a mechanical navigation computer for Soviet spaceflight (2023)” ↗…undertaking that, like the U.S. space program, demanded the service of the nation’s top engineers, manufacturers, pilots, etc. Many books, including Colin Burgess’s outstanding Soviets in Space, James Harford’s Korolev, William Burrough’s This New Ocean, and other works all portray the Soviet effort in a much more realistic manner and demonstrate what a massive and serious effort it was. Even Bryan Burrough’s Dragonfly,…
on “Russian drones spotted using screwed-on magnetic compasses as navigation aids” ↗No, the Sovient program was doomed because the military lost any interest in funding Korolev's trips to Moon after they got what they wanted from the program - a fully working ICBM capable of reaching USA. After that the funding was heavily curtailed and redirected to other near-military projects…
on “Declassified spacecrafts and orbital weapons of the USSR (2018)” ↗