Russian rocket scientist Boris Chertok, who died Dec. 14 at 99, not only made rockets, he wanted to ride in them, too, the New York Times reported:
In 2001, a Soyuz-U booster blasted two Russian astronauts and an American millionaire, Dennis A. Tito, into orbit for a rendezvous with the International Space Station. Mr. Tito paid $20 million for the trip.
Interviewed at Russia’s mission control center at the time, Mr. Chertok said, “I am a little bit under 90, and if someone presented me with $20 million I would gladly spend it on a ticket to space.”
The Eulogizer highlights the life accomplishments of famous and not-so-famous Jews who have passed away recently. Write to the Eulogizer at eulogizer@jta.org.
