November 13, 2014 – 100 years since the birth of the chief designer of space technologies Georgiy Mykolayovich Babakin – corresponding member of Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Hero of socialist labour, laureate of Lenin Prize. Under his direction automatic space probes (ASP) like “Luna”, “Venera”, “Mars” were constructed. They made first planetary landing on the Moon, the Venus and the Mars. The first artificial satellite of the Moon and the Mars, the first delivery of moon spoil to the Earth, the first moon rover in the world – all these are the inventions of design-bureau (DB), directed by G.M.Babakin. And all that was made just in 6 years!
G.M.Babakin was born November 13, 1914 in Moscow. He did not know his father as he was off at the front after the birth of the son, and dead in 1917. Georgiy grew up with his step-father – Mykola Dmytrovich Banketov. At the end of 1919, Banketovs moved to a room in a multifamily unit where about 20 people lived. Here G.M.Babakin lived for 40 years.
In 1923 he went to school, where he studied for 7 years. After graduating in 1930 he attended courses of radio technicians, organized by Central radiolab of Society of friend of radio. That was the only place, where Babakin could get a specialized education in stationary training.
After courses in November 1930, Babakin worked in Radio Service of Moscow phone system. He provides radiobroadcast of theatrical performances, meetings, conferences, and also parades and meetings from Red Square. In 1932 he became a chief radio technician in Park of Culture and Rest “Sokolniki”. In 1936 he was called up for military service, but after 6 month he came back because of state of health. Then he worked in Central park of culture and rest of M. Gorkiy. Here he constructed three-channel system of voltage gain which he gave for performances in the Green theatre.
In 1937 he married to Hanna Goyhman, student of Moscow building university. At the insistance of Hanna he passed out the exams in 10th year of the school and entered the distance learning department of Institute of Communication. Due to war and workload, he managed to graduate from the Institute only in 1957.
In November 1937 G.M.Babakin started working in in automatics laboratory of Academy of community facilities. Here he constructed automatic photoelectronic analysers for water quality control. In 1943 he worked in Moscow Institute of Automation, where in 6 years he managed to climb the career ladder from laboratory chief to design manager without a degree. G.M.Babakin made a range of developments, for instance, monitoring system to magnetic airborne compass, temperature alarm for confectionery plant, course direction indicator for trolley-bus, electric motor breaker assembly for trolley-bus from thermal overload. The main feature for all these projects was remote control.
In 1949 G.M. Babakin’s DED was moved to Scientific-Research Institute-88, where he took part in development of multipurpose complex of air defense based on rocket 112. In addition, in this year he met S.P.Korolev, while handing over a working project. Later, when they were deciding whether to include Babakin’s DB to space research, S.P.Korolev said: “He is the man you can rely on.”
In 1951 at the behest of the chief designer of research design bureau (RDB) S.O. Lavochkin, G.M.Babakin started working in RDB as head of administration department, and soon succeeded as deputy chief design of system control. Moreover, Babakin took part in constructing air defense missile weapon system in Moscow “C-25” (Berkut). Rockets of this system were on alert more than 30 years. He participated in developing supersonic intercontinental rocket “Buria”, which succeeded in 17 test launches, but according to the Resolution of the Government the project was closed.
As S.O.Lavochkin died in 1960, his RED was added to RDB-52 (rocket chief designer – V.M. Chelomey) and Babakin was in charge of developing marine cruise missiles. After M.S.Khrushchov was removed from his post, a company became independent again at the end of 1964. It was reorganized in S.O. Lavochkin Machine Building Plant, where G.M.Babakin became the chief designer in March 1965.
At that time S.P.Korolev’s RDB-1 was the main thing from research of space in the USSR. Here it was developed the first artificial satellite of Earth, and also the first piloted spaceships, and the first interplanetary stations. Besides, the RDB was engaged in development of combat missiles. In the mid-sixties it was overloaded with a large number of space and defensive themes, which entailed many failures. From 1958 to 1965 15 interplanetary stations were sent towards the Moon. One of them,"Luna-1", flew at 6000 km from a surface of the Moon, "Luna-2" was the first to reach the Moon surface, "Luna-3" for the first time photographed the opposite side of the Moon, and all other start-ups were unsuccessful. From 1960 to 1964 six stations were sent towards Mars, but none of them succeeded with a mission. From 1961 to 1965 three stations went towards Venus, and only "Venera-3" – the first station in the history aimed to research planets – reached a surface of Venus.
And then S.P.Korolev, despite of the fact that name of G. M. Babakin wasn't widely known in space-rocket circles yet, decided to give to his RDB all interplanetary subject, all works from far space, including the Moon, and allowed him to conduct further development independently. In 1965 G. M. Babakin’s RDB received from DB S.P.Korolev all technical documentation on already developed interplanetary stations and outline options of some new. It seems that S.P.Korolev was under impression of G. M. Babakin’s ability to convince and acquire. That allowed him to inspire the staff of RDB and a great number of suppliers on implementation of difficult space projects in the shortest time.
The 1966 year was for G.M.Babakin very successful.
On 3 February 1966 automatic interplanetary station "Luna-9" for the first time in the world carried out a soft landing on the Moon surface, near the ocean the Drill, and sent a television panorama of its surface. It was G. M. Babakin’s first space project, and such successful!
On 3 April 1966 also for the first time in the world the artificial satellite "Luna-10" was sent to orbit of the Moon, and in August "Luna-11" became the second artificial satellite. On 25 October 1966 ASP "Luna-12" conducted a research of the Moon and circumlunar space, and also took photos of a moon surface. On 24 December 1966 ASP "Luna-13" carried out soft landing near the ocean the Drill. The station transferred eight panoramas of the moon surface to Earth and conducted a research of mechanical properties of the moon soil.
G. M. Babakin was awarded the Lenin Prize for work on ASP "Luna-9" and "Luna-10". Under G. M. Babakin’s direction a new generation of moon stations was developed. But then started a streak of bad luck. On 15 April 1969 – emergency start-up, on 14 June 1969 – emergency start-up, on 13 July 1969 – the device broke, landing the Moon surface, September and October, 1969 – two devices remained in Earth orbit; On 6 February and on 8 June 1970 – two devices did not even reach the Moon orbit. Seven unsuccessful start-up for 6 month! But these failures didn't stop G. M. Babakin.
17 September 1970 "Luna-16" landed near the sea of Prosperity. 21 September 1970 the drag head drilled a moon surface and placed a soil sample in the special container. 24 September 1970 the trigger device landed 80 km from Jezkazgan, and delivered to Earth 101 gram of moon soil. 17 November 1970 the automatic station "Luna-17" softly landed the Moon surface near the sea of Rains. From inside the moon "chariot" – the first self-propelled moon device – “Moon rover-1” carefully moved down on the Moon surface.
As the chief of calculation of driving installation of correction and braking, I took part in complex tests and filling of driving installations of “Luna-16” and “Luna-17” stations at the “Baikonur” spaceport. Both stations struck with beauty of engineering decisions. When carrying out complex tests to succeeded to see G. M. Babakin twice, when he talked to the chief of tests and officers of test management. He made impression of the quiet, balanced person who knows all subtleties of the business.
Except other different equipment, on a moon rover were installed: the device for determination of mechanical property of the monthly soil, a x-ray spectrometer, the x-ray telescope by means of which far extragalactic sources of X-rays were examined, a laser reflector of the French production by means of which measurements of distance to Earth with an accuracy of 3 m were taken.
In 301 terrestrial days, or 12 monthly working days the moon rover of passed 10,5 km, examined a moon surface on the area about 80 000 m2, transferred to Earth of 200 panoramas and over 20 thousand landscapes of a moon landscape. In a long (14 terrestrial days) moon night moon rover "went to sleep", and with sunrise its activity was resumed. "Moon rover-1" was created in DB of S. O. Lavochkin Engineering plant under the direction of G. M. Babakin, self-propelled chassis were created in Scientific research institute Transmash under the leadership of A.L. Kemurdzhian. Leaping ahead, I will tell that after G. M. Babakin's death "Moon rover-2" which passed already 37 km was delivered to the Moon in 1973.
In 1970 for delivery of the moon soil, G. M. Babakin was given a rank of the Hero of Socialist Work. In parallel with development of the Moon, G. M. Babakin’s RDB conducts works on creation of stations for flight to Venus. 12 June 1967 starts ASP "Venera-4". The landing device within one and a half hours transferred data on the atmosphere, radiation belts and a magnetic field of the planet. At distance of 25 km from a surface of Venus communication unexpectedly stopped. ASP "Venera-5, 6" also were crushed by a high pressure in the atmosphere of Venus at the height of 18-28 km as were calculated on pressure of 25 atm.
15 December 1970 "Venera-7" for the first time reached a surface of Venus; according to received information the pressure about a surface of Venus made 90±15 atm., and temperature 475±200С. The following devices were constructed taking into account these indicators. In general 16 devices were sent towards Venus.
Scientists were interested not only in the Moon and Venus, but in the planet Mars as well. From 1960 to 1963 five devices were sent towards Mars, but any of them succeeded. In May 1971 from the Baikonur spaceport was sent ASP "Mars-2" and in few days later - "Mars-3". One crash-landed, the second carried out a soft landing, but in 20 seconds stopped signalling. Though landing modules, "Mars-2,3" failed, space stations successfully executed the missions and transferred to Earth valuable scientific data. Under the leadership of G. M. Babakin were kept special defensive projects. In particular, in his RDB were developed and constructed the first echelon satellites of system of the rocket attack warning.
... For six years of "space races" had a bad impact on Georgiy Nikolaevich's health. Working for 15-16 hours per day and allocating all the responsibilities to himself, he simply "burned out" at work. 3 August 1971 G. M. Babakin passed away.
G. M. Babakin gave only six years of his life to space. But his contribution to development of practical astronautics is incontestable and conventional. After his name were called the crater on the opposite side of the Moon (near a crater Tsiolkovsky) and on the Mars. People can examine G. M. Babakin's achievements in department of aircraft and astronautics of I. I. Sikorsky of the State Polytechnical Museum (SPM) at NTUU "KPI". Here is exhibited the technological model of the landing device "Venus-4" is stored, the Moon globe, on which the designated places of landing of spacecrafts are marked, his activity is displayed at stands.