and ‘space minister’ who managed the entire rocket and space industries of the Soviet Union from 1965 until 1983. Born in Klin near Moscow, he became the minister of general machine-building industry (now ROSCOSMOS) who oversaw all issues related to the nation’s space programme, including the development of spacecraft, the Mir space station, the Energiya rocket, and the Soviet space shuttle Buran. From 1988 until his death, Afanasyev served as the senior science consultant of the Energiya Rocket and Space Complex.