Sergey Korolyov (Space Race Didn't End)

Sergei Pavlovich Korolev born 12 January [O.S. 30 December 1906] 1907 in Zhytomyr, Russian Empire (now Ukraine); died 15 July 1996 in Moscow, USSR was the lead Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer in the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union from the 1950s to1980s. He is considered by many as the father of practical astronautics.

Early Work
In 1945, Korolev was awarded the Badge of Honor, his first decoration, for his work on the development of rocket motors for military aircraft. The same year he was commissioned into the Red Army, with a rank of Colonel. Along with other experts, he flew to Germany to recover the technology of the Germam V-2 rocket. The Soviets placed a priority on reproducing lost documentation on the V-2, and studying the various parts and captured manufacturing facilities. That work continued in East Germany until late 1946, when the Soviet experts and some 150 German scientists and engineers were sent to Russia. Most of the German experts, with the exception of Helmut Gröttrup, were those involved in wartime mass-production of V-2, and they had never worked directly with Wernher von Braun. The leading German rocket scientists, including Dr. von Braun himself, surrendered to Americans and were transported to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip

N-1 and the Moon Race
Vladimir Chelomey, Korolev's chief rival, approaches Korolev with a plan to increase funding for the Soviet space program and be able to truly challenge the Americans in the race to the moon. The ambitious plan calls for better cooperation, bigger rockets and even catching up with the Americans within two years. Then be in a position to pass them; they went before Premier Brezhnev, the leader of the plan was approved.

Korolev was able to secure enough funding to complete a partial redesign and to complete full testing. With the proper testing of the N-1, the N-1 launched in early 1969. With the determination of the Soviets to build several more rockets over a two year period, the Soviets caught up with the American as planned.

Space Station
With the N-1 working as promised, Korolyov was named chief rocket engineer of the newly formed {...}. It was here that he meet Mikhail Gorbachev