posted 12-12-2005 01:05 PM               

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NK (Zhelaznyakov and Samshutdinov) are reporting the death of Anatoliy Kartashov, a member of the 1960 'Gagarin cadre' of cosmonaut candidates, who was medically disqualified the following year. "Left team after being overstressed in centrifuge training", they say.

Born Aug 25, 1932, he continued serving in Air force units until 1985, when he went to work as a test pilot for the Antonov Aircraft Bureau in Kiev. He died there December 11 after "a severe and prolonged illness".

The promise of spaceflight teased him briefly, but then he went on with his life and his flying, and I hope he was not overly tormented by 'what-might-have-beens'. RIP, comrade.

Bio data (already updated with death!)

May 2005 photo (by Aleksandr Glushko)

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