July 3, 2004:  The death of Andriyan Nikolayev

In addition to his record-setting space-endurance exploits, Andriyan Nikolayev was well known for marrying fellow cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963. They divorced in 1982. Credit: Alexander Mokletsov/RIA Novosti/Wikimedia

Key Takeaways:

• Andriyan Nikolayev, a member of the Soviet “Vanguard Six” cosmonauts, passed away on July 3, 2004.
• He commanded Vostok 3 in August 1962, achieving the first simultaneous crewed spaceflights with the concurrent launch of Vostok 4, and setting an endurance record of 64 Earth orbits over 96 hours.
• Nikolayev also led the Soyuz 9 mission in June 1970, establishing another space endurance record (nearly 18 days) and inadvertently demonstrating the critical need for in-flight exercise to mitigate the adverse effects of prolonged microgravity exposure.
• Beyond his spaceflights, Nikolayev was notable for marrying Valentina Tereshkova and participating in a U.S. goodwill tour, contributing to early U.S.-Soviet space cooperation.

Key takeaways sponsored by The Space Store

Space Race pioneer Andriyan Grigoryevich Nikolayev died July 3, 2004, in Cheboksary, Russia. Even among the first group of Soviet cosmonauts selected, he was considered elite, a member of the “Vanguard Six” chosen for the Vostok missions. His career included piloting Vostok 3 in August 1962, which became the first instance of two crewed spacecraft simultaneously in space when Vostok 4 was launched a day later. The Vostok 3 flight also set an endurance record, orbiting Earth 64 times over 96 hours. Nikolayev later crewed the Soyuz 9 mission in June 1970. In addition to establishing another space endurance record of nearly 18 days, the mission highlighted the necessity of in-flight exercise for long-duration spaceflight when the Soyuz 9 cosmonauts skipped their planned exercise because they were preoccupied with other research. The prolonged time in microgravity took a toll, causing bone and muscle atrophy; upon their return, Nikolayev and fellow crewmember Vitaly Sevastyanov took days to reacclimate and experienced significant physical weakness. Today, astronauts follow strict exercise regimens to avoid similar effects. Nikolayev also married first woman in space Valentina Tereshkova in 1963, and participated in a goodwill tour of the U.S. in 1970, building up early U.S.-Soviet space cooperation.