Boris Yegorov

Who was Boris Yegorov?

Boris Borisovich Yegorov was a Soviet physician-cosmonaut who became the first physician to make a space flight.

Yegorov came from a medical background, with his father a prominent heart surgeon, and his mother an ophthalmologist. He also selected medicine as a career and graduated from the "First Moscow Medical Institute" in 1961. During the course of his studies, he came into contact with Yuri Gagarin's training and became interested in space medicine.

Yegorov was selected as a member of the multi-disciplinary team that flew on Voskhod 1. It has been suggested that his father's influence within the Politburo may have had some bearing on the selection. As a result of this space flight, Yegorov was awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union on October 19, 1964.

Yegorov earned his doctorate in medicine, with his specialisation being in disorders of the sense of balance.

Yegorov was married three times and fathered three children. He died from a heart attack in 1994. The asteroid 8450 Yegorov is named in his honor.

He was awarded:

Hero of the Soviet Union

Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR

Order of Lenin