Valeri Nikolayevich Kubasov, a retired Soviet cosmonaut, died on Wednesday, 19 February 2014, in Moscow at age 79. He was the second crew member of the legendary joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project to pass away, after Deke Slayton died in 1993.
Kubasov flew two missions in the Soyuz program as a flight engineer: Soyuz — 6 and Soyuz — 19 (the Apollo-Soyuz mission). He also commanded Soyuz — 36 at the side of Hungarian cosmonaut Bertalan Farkas in the Intercosmos program. Later, he was involved in the development of the Mir space station. Kubasov retired from the Soviet space program in March 1993.
“Very sad to report that Valery Kubasov has passed away in Moscow,” the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), a professional organisation whose astronaut and cosmonaut members included Kubasov, wrote in a brief statement cited by collectspace.com. “A true pioneer of spaceflight and international cooperation in space.”
Among other accolades, Kubasov was awarded twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Gold Medal Yuri Gagarin, Hero of the Hungarian People’s Republic. He is survived by his wife Lyudmila Kurovskaya, daughter Ekaterina and son Dmitry. Coins, stamps, and photos preserve his memory.
October 1969: Soyuz 6, 7 and 8 were part of a joint mission that sent three Soyuz spacecraft into orbit together at the same time, carrying seven cosmonauts pictured below (from left to right): Vladimir Shatalov, Viktor Gorbatko, Valeri Kubasov, Anatoly Filipchenko, Aleksei Yeliseyev, Vladislav Volkov, Georgi Shonin. In: Emberek a világűrben, 1980.
Kubasov and Bertalan Farkas during wilderness survival training. In: Galambos Tibor: A világűr képekben, Móra Könyvkiadó, 1983.
Kubasov and Bertalan Farkas during water egress training, 1979. Photo source: spacefacts.de.
The Soyuz 36 crew discussing the flight plan. In: Emberek a világűrben, 1980.
Kubasov and Farkas, Soyuz — 36 crewmembers, 1980. Photo: GCTC.
The Soyuz — 36 crew in the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. On the left: commander Valeri Kubasov, on the right: Research Cosmonaut Bertalan Farkas., 1979. In: Emberek a világűrben, 1980.
Valeri Kubasov and Bertalan Farkas are prepared for the flight. Photo: Emberek a világűrben kiadvány, 1980.
Cosmonaut Valeri N. Kubasov, left, Soviet ASTP engineer, and astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, Apollo crew commander, are seen during a visit by the two crewmen to the Soviet Soyuz Orbital Module during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The visit was one of four made among the five crewmen on July 17-18, 1975. Photo: NASA.
Kubasov and Farkas. In: Magyar űrhajós a világűrben, 1980. május 26.
Leonov and Kubasov, Soyuz — 19 crewmembers before launch (In: Rebrov-Gilberg: Szojuz-Apolló, Műszaki Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1977.)
Kubasov aboard the Soyuz — 19. Photo: NASA.
25 April 1974. official portrait of cosmonaut Valeri N. Kubasov. Photo: NASA.
Vance D. Brand (left), command module pilot of the American ASTP prime crew; and Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet crew, participate in ASTP training in Building 35 at the Johnson Space Center. They are in the Soyuz spacecraft orbital module mock-up. Photo: NASA.