Rockets and People

A four-volume memoir by Boris Chertok

By Boris Chertok. Series editor Asif Siddiqi

Much has been written in the West on the history of the Soviet space program but few Westerners have read direct first-hand accounts of the men and women who were behind the many Russian accomplishments in exploring space. The memoirs of Academician Boris Chertok, translated from the original Russian, fills that gap. In these writings, spread over four volumes, Chertok not only describes and reflects upon his experiences, but he also elicits and extracts profound insights from an epic story about a society’s quest to explore the cosmos.

NASA SP-4110

Download the e-Books

Volume 1

Fixed layout format (PDF: 4.16 MB)

Volume 2: Creating a Rocket Industry

Fixed layout format (PDF: 3.7 MB)

Volume 3: Hot Days of the Cold War

In this third volume Chertok continues his fascinating narrative on the early history of the Soviet space program, from 1961 to 1967, arguably the peak of the effort. (PDF: 7.6 MB)

Volume 4: The Moon Race

In the final volume of the series, Chertok recounts the period of 1968 to 1974. (PDF: 7.6 MB)

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