FILE - In this file photo dated August 26, 1978, Soviet cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, left, poses with first German astronaut from East Germany Sigmund Jaehn, at the Cosmodrome in Baikonur, prior to their space trip aboard Soviet rocket Soyuz 31 to the Salyut 6 space station. Russia's space agency said Wednesday March 27, 2019, that pioneering Soviet-era cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, who made the first of his three flights to space in 1963, has died at age 84. (AP Photo/FILE)

Pioneering Russian cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky dies at age 84

By The Associated Press March 27, 2019 at 12:34pm

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s space agency says pioneering Soviet-era cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, who made the first of his three flights to space in 1963, has died at age 84.

Roscosmos said Bykovsky died Wednesday, but it didn’t state a cause of death.

Bykovsky was one of 20 Soviet military pilots in the first group picked to prepare for space. He first flew to space in June 1963 as a member of the Vostok-5 crew.

He underwent training for a moon mission before the United States won the race to the moon and the Soviet Union canceled its plans to go there.

Bykovsky made his second space flight in 1976 and his third in 1978. He spent nearly 21 days in orbit in all.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

WJ Wire

The Associated Press

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter

@AP

Facebook

The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.

Location

New York City