Korolev

Korolev, also spelled Korolyov (Russian: Королёв), is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. It is part of the Moscow metropolitan area and serves as a major center of the Russian space industry. The city hosts several space-related design bureaus, manufacturing enterprises, and research institutes, contributing to the country’s space program.

Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (1907–1966) was a Soviet rocket engineer and the chief designer of the Soviet space program. He led the development of ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles, including the R-7 Semyorka, which launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957, and the Vostok program, which carried Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, in 1961. His work and leadership were largely kept secret during his lifetime; his identity and contributions were publicly acknowledged after his death. He is widely regarded as the father of the Soviet space program.

Korolev’s name was given to the city in the late 20th century to honor Sergei Korolev. The city grew around the rocket and space industry during the Soviet era and remains a center for aerospace research and development within Moscow Oblast, connected to Moscow by road and rail.