25th of October, 2011 marked the centenary of Mikhailo Kuzmich Yangel, an outstanding designer of space and missile systems, member of the Academy of Science of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the USSR, laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes of the USSR, twice the Hero of Socialist Labor. Owing to missiles developed under the leadership of M.K. Yangel, the USSR achieved strategic parity with the United States, made treaties on the limitation of ballistic missile defense and strategic offensive forces. And the goodly heritage left by M.K. Yangel, primarily the Southern Machine-Building Plant in Dnipropetrovsk, provided Ukraine with a place among ‘countries of space’ (detailed about M.K. Yangel see p. 3).
In accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine № 412 of 8th of April, 2011 on the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Mikhailo Yangel and the Ordinance of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 318 of 13th of April, 2011 there was a series of events devoted to honoring a prominent scientist and engineer in our country.
One of these events was scientific reading that took place on 13th of October in the G.I. Denisenko Scientific and Research Library of NTUU ‘KPI’. The chairman of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, academician B. E. Paton, a member of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, academician V.P. Horbulin, Head Councilor of the National Space Agency of Ukraine E.I. Kuznetsov, the first pilot cosmonaut of independent Ukraine L.K. Kadenyuk, deputy chief designer of SE ‘M.K. Yangel ‘Pivdenne’ Design Office’ O.V. Novikov, chief designer of the Design Bureau for the Development of Solid-Propellant Rocket Engine V.I. Kukushkin, Academician of NAS of Ukraine, Head of the Main Astronomical Observatory Ya.S. Yatskiv, Chancellor of Oles Gonchar National University of Dnipropetrovsk M.V. Polyakov, Director of the Space Research Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine O.P. Fedorov, Director of the Aerospace Institute of the National Aviation University V. M. Shmarov, managing Director of the O.M. Makarova National Center for Aerospace Education of the Ukrainian Youth V.V. Khmelnytsky, Chairman of UMACO "Suzirya" O. Petrov, Baikonur, Plesetsk, Kapustin Yar launch area’s veterans, representatives of Kyiv enterprises, teachers, employees and students of NTUU ‘KPI’ and National Aviation University, members of the Junior Academy of Sciences took the part in scientific reading.
Reading was opened by the Chancellor of the NTUU ‘KPI’ M.Z. Zgurovsky, who introduced the participants of the event. The President of the National Academy of Sciences B. E.Paton took on the opening speech about the academician M.K. Yangel and the significance of his contribution to the rocket-and-space industry of Ukraine. The participants were congratulated by the Head Councilor of the NSAU E.I. Kuznetsov, and the speeches on the life and activity of the prominent missile designer were made by Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine V.P. Gorbulin, the scientific and educational Deputy Chief Designer of the ‘M.K. Yangel ‘Pivdenne’ Design Office’ Professor O.V. Novikov, Chief Designer of Solid-Propellant Rocket Engine Professor V.I. Kukushkin, Chief Executive of the Aerospace Society of Ukraine Ph.D. V.F. Frolov.
Arguably the most interesting speeches on M.K. Yangel were personal memories of people who once worked or cooperated with him. The attendees could not help but notice how warm they talked about M.K. Yangel.
Academician B.E. Paton emphasized that M.K. Yangel highly appreciated the science and cooperation with scientists of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. New directions of scientific research were created, new departments were opened at different universities through his enterprise.
Professor O.V. Novikov emphasized the high creative potential of M.K. Yangel, noted that it was a person who significantly influenced the history of the 20th century. He was a man of high business proficiency and moral qualities. His motto was the words: ‘To serve the people and the Motherland is not only a duty, but also a sense of life.’ M.K. Yangel is a man whose life should be a role model. He was a great facilitator and could put his work in such a way that new designs immediately went into batch production. This allowed to reduce significantly the terms of development and arming of missiles. Many ideas of M.K. Yangel are being implemented today, which allows SE ‘M.K. Yangel ‘Pivdenne’ Design Office’ to be a leader in many areas of development of rocket and space equipment.
Professor V.I. Kukushkin began working with M.K. Yangel right after graduating from the Moscow Aviation Institute. He stressed that Yangel was not afraid to entrust the young with big and complex tasks, which brought up a lot of responsibility and allowed the young professionals to pursue professional passions headily. At the end of his speech Professor V.I. Kukushkin expressed his confidence that Ukraine, having missiles weighing 20 tons, can launch satellites of up to 150 kg from its territory independently, as well as hopes that such launches will be carried out.
Taking all things together, the speaker managed not only to highlight comprehensively the way of life and creative achievements of a great engineer, facilitator, leader, but also to reproduce before the audience the living image of a great man.
In the photo: М.К. Yangel and his wife I.V. Strazheva with their grandsons Dmitry and Sergey (children of Lyudmila Mikhailivna) in cottage outside Moscow, Barvikha, late 1960's. The neighbors of Yangel were the Korolevs family.