Boris Chertok
The meticulous engineer who helped design the control systems guiding Soviet rockets from Sputnik's beep to the Soyuz's enduring flight.
1912–2011 (age 99)·Soviet-Russian scientist and engineer·Birthday: March 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Boris Chertok's life was the hidden wiring of the Soviet space program. Working in the shadow of the more famous chief designer, Sergei Korolev, Chertok was a master of control and guidance—the complex electronics that made rockets steerable and spacecraft functional. His career spanned the entire Soviet cosmic saga, from the captured V-2 rockets of the late 1940s to the Mir space station. He survived the political purges, the frantic race to match Sputnik, and the tragic setbacks, becoming a living repository of institutional memory. In his later years, his multi-volume memoirs, 'Rockets and People,' provided an unparalleled, candid insider's history, ensuring that the stories of the engineers, not just the cosmonauts, would be told.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Boris was born in 1912, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Boris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1912
Boris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1912Born
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1917Started school
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Became a teenager
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1928Could drive
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1930Could vote
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Turned 21
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1942Turned 30
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 40
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1962Turned 50
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 60
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 70
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 80
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2011Died at 99
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Was a leading designer of control systems for the R-7 rocket, the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile and the launch vehicle for Sputnik.
- Played a crucial engineering role in the Vostok and Soyuz spacecraft programs.
- Served as deputy chief designer under Sergei Korolev at the OKB-1 design bureau.
- Authored the definitive four-volume history 'Rockets and People,' a primary source on the Soviet space effort.
Did You Know?
He began his career in aviation, working on the electrical systems for Soviet aircraft in the 1930s.
After the fall of the USSR, he worked as a chief advisor to the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
He lived to be 99 years old, witnessing nearly the entire first century of rocketry.
A crater on the far side of the Moon is named after him.
“Without reliable control systems, a rocket is just a dangerous pyrotechnic toy.”
