The Soviet Union’s only non-Communist cosmonaut, Konstantin Feoktistov, has died in Moscow at the age of 83.

Foektistov’s 1964 flight marked the first time a civilian rather than a member of the military had been sent into space. It was also the first multiple cosmonaut flight. His lack of membership of the official Communist party irritated the authorities but didn’t seem to hold him back. His career in Space flight wasn’t restricted to flying and testing rockets; he was also a designer and helped develop the Soviet rockets, Soyuz, Salyut and Mir. Once his flying days were over he worked as a professor in Moscow until 2005. There is a Feoktistov crater on the Moon named after him.More about: Russia

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