Editing Konstantin Feoktistov (section)

== Biography ==
During the Nazi occupation of [[Voronezh]], at the age of just 16, Feoktistov fought with the [[Soviet Army]] against the [[World War II|German troops]], carrying out [[reconnaissance]] missions for the [[Voronezh Front]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8373161.stm |date=22 November 2009 |title=Former Soviet cosmonaut Konstantin Feoktistov dies |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=29 November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|script-title=ru:Феоктистов Константин Петрович|url = http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=1813|website = www.warheroes.ru|access-date = 2015-12-24|language = ru|trans-title = Feoktistov Konstantin Pavlovich}}</ref> After being captured by a [[Waffen-SS]] Army patrol, Feoktistov was shot by a German officer. However, the bullet went right through his chin and neck and did not kill him. Feoktistov could crawl out later and then make his way to the Soviet lines.

After the war was over, Feoktistov enrolled in the [[Moscow State Technical University|Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School]] as an engineering student and he graduated in 1949. Feoktistov also later earned a doctorate in [[physics]]. He joined [[Mikhail Tikhonravov]]'s [[OKB]] (design bureau), and in 1955, Feoktistov formed part of the team that went on to design the [[Sputnik]] [[satellite]]s, the [[Vostok spacecraft|Vostok space capsule]], the [[Voskhod spacecraft|Voskhod space capsule]], and the [[Soyuz spacecraft|Soyuz space capsule]] under the leadership of the Soviet Chief Designer [[Sergey Korolev]]. During this time, Feoktistov also worked on a design for an [[ion thruster|ion-propelled]] spacecraft capable of taking humans to [[Mars]].

In 1964, Feoktistov was selected as part of a group of engineers for [[cosmonaut]] training, and in October of that same year, he was hastily assigned to the multi-disciplinary Voskhod 1 crew. He was the first civilian to make a space flight, and the only cosmonaut in the Soviet Union who was not a member of the [[CPSU|Communist Party of the Soviet Union]].<ref>[http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=327199 Скончался космонавт Константин Феоктистов]. Vesti.ru (22 November 2009). Retrieved on 16 July 2014.</ref> He spent just over 24 hours and 17 minutes in space during his space flight.<ref>[http://www.astronaut.ru/as_rusia/energia/text/feoktistov.htm Константин Петрович Феоктистов]. Astronaut.ru. Retrieved on 16 July 2014.</ref>

After the flight of Voskhod 1, Feoktistov's training for any further [[manned space mission|space mission]] was discontinued for medical reasons. However, Feoktistov continued his outer space engineering work, and he later became the head of the Soviet space design bureau that designed the [[Salyut]] and [[Mir]] [[space station]]s.

In October 1969, Konstantin Feoktistov and Georgi Beregovoi traveled as guests of NASA throughout the US, visiting any city they chose and [[Disneyland]] in California – they were joined on the trip by US astronauts as hosts, including [[Eugene Cernan]], [[Neil Armstrong]] and others. [[Kirk Douglas]] and others hosted receptions for them in Hollywood – they were protected by special agents of the US State Department on request of NASA.  Almost every place they went when accompanied by Eugene Cernan, if a band was present  the song "[[Fly Me to the Moon]]" was played – when they visited Disneyland they enjoyed the ride Trip To The Moon, then joked with the US astronauts that they went to Disneyland and not the Moon.  It was a trip that all enjoyed and international friendships were made.
Feoktistov resigned from his engineering position with [[S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia|Energia]] and then returned to Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School as a professor in 1990.