IEEE's "Spectrum" Magazine, April 2006

Stellar Engineer

By: James Oberg

When two spacecraft meet, they rely on Vladimir Syromyatnikov

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/apr06/3222



Fifty years ago this month, Vladimir Syromyatnikov, then a

23-year-old Russian engineer fresh out of college, walked into

a top-secret Soviet space design bureau where he became one of

the most important engineers of Russia's space program. Then

he accomplished something even rarer: his handiwork found its

way into the U.S. and European space programs as well.



Syromyatnikov is best known for his work in designing docking

mechanisms for manned spacecraft. The mechanisms do a number

of tricky things, including sealing two spacecraft together

tightly enough to prevent precious air from leaking away, yet

allowing the vehicles to separate in an instant if necessary.

Syromyatnikov's designs are still used by spacecraft visiting

the International Space Station (ISS).