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Karrask, Vladimir Konstantinovich

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Karrask

Born: 1928. Died: 2004-03-13.

Prolific engineer, contributed to major Soviet aerospace projects during a career at the Myasishchev and Chelomei design bureaus. Worked on M-4 and M-50 heavy bombers, Proton launch vehicle, and Salyut, Mir, TKS, and FGB spacecraft.

Following education at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) in 1951, Karrask joined the 'young Turks' at the new design bureau of Myasishchev, tasked with the development of an intercontinental jet bomber, something other Chief Designers declared impossible. Later he was assigned to development of the launch complex for the Buran intercontinental Mach 3 cruise missile. Myasishchev's M4 bomber went into production, but the bureau's other projects were cancelled, and the staff were absorbed into Chelomei's OKB-23 in 1959. In parallel with his work in industry, from 1953 Karrask also was a distinguished lecturer at MAI, for eight years head of a department there, teaching new generations of Soviet aerospace engineers.

In 1964, Karrask was made Deputy Design Project Leader for the UR-500 - what would become the Proton launch vehicle. He then moved to Chelomei's KB Salyut subsidiary, where he designed the mysterious large fairing for Korolev's N1 launch vehicle and headed the scientific research and computational sections developing the Almaz military space station.

When the crash program began in 1969 to build the Salyut civilian space station based on the Almaz, Karrask was put in charge of the Chelomei side of the project. He subsequently headed development of the TKS manned ferry for the Almaz, and the modules of the Mir space station. With the coming of Glasnost, Karrask was an early emissary from the formerly closed Soviet aerospace industry, dazzling Western engineering audiences with new revelations and details about the unknown achievements of Soviet space technology. He remained active in defining modules for the Russian portion of the International Space Station, design and development of the new Angara launch vehicle, and in designing new manned Mars spacecraft concepts.

Karrask received numerous awards and patents from the Soviet state. However his entire life he disdained money and honors in favor of the clear joy of the creative engineering process.

• Death of Vladimir Konstantinovich Karrask - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Karrask. Russian chief designer. From 1964-1986 Deputy Chief Designer, and from 1986-1989 Chief Designer of KB Salyut..