Voices of the Soviet Space Program

Slava Gerovitch is Lecturer in History of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.

"Slava Gerovitch ... has published a fascinating primary source in Voices of the Soviet Space Program. This book consists of thirteen interviews with cosmonauts, soldiers, and engineers that Gerovitch ... conducted from 2002 to 2010 over several oral history projects. ... The interviews enable the reader to learn about the beginnings of the Soviet space program ... . This is an important contribution to space history, cold war history, the history of the USSR, and the history of technology." (Paul Josephson, Technology and Culture, Vol. 57, April, 2016) "Slava Gerovitch ... has assembled here a vibrant collection of thirteen interviews that he conducted with Russian space personalities in the U.S. and Russia between 2002 and 2010. ... This is all a rare and welcome achievement in the literature. ... In sum, this excellent book reveals new facts and insights on the personal, institutional, technical, and political facets of Soviet rocketry and spaceflight policies and practices between the Second World War and the end of the Cold War." (Michael G. Smith, Slavic Review, Vol. 75 (2), Summer, 2016)

• Introduction. Multiple Perspectives on Soviet Space History Part I. The Soldiers Chapter 1. Commanding Officer Abram Krayzman Chapter 2. Construction Engineer Sergey Safro Part II. The Engineers Chapter 3. Engine Designer Anatoliy Daron Chapter 4. Guidance Engineer Sergei Khrushchev Chapter 5. Control Engineer Georgiy Priss Chapter 6. Radio Engineer Felix Meschansky Chapter 7. Display Designer Yuriy Tyapchenko Chapter 8. Computer Designer Viktor Przhiyalkovskiy Part III. The Cosmonauts Chapter 9. 'Cosmonaut 13': Vladimir Shatalov Chapter 10. Test Cosmonaut Mikhail Burdayev Chapter 11. Scientist Cosmonaut Ordinard Kolomiytsev Chapter 12. 'Second Backup': Valentina Ponomareva Chapter 13. Stress Psychiatrist Ada Ordyanskaya