Popov and Tsiolkovsky. Literary and historical notes of a young technician

For years people have been trying to find answers about the structure of the Universe, looking at mysterious stars and dreaming of conquering space. Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky brought humanity closer to the conquest of airspace.

His works served as an incentive to create the most powerful missiles, airplanes and orbital stations. The progressive and innovative ideas of the thinker often did not coincide with public opinion, but the scientist did not give up. Tsiolkovsky's ingenious research made him famous Russian science in the world community.

Childhood and youth

In the fall of 1857, a boy was born into the Tsiolkovsky family. The child’s parents lived in the village of Izhevskoye, Ryazan province. The priest named the baby Constantine at baptism. Eduard Ignatievich (father) was considered the scion of an impoverished noble family, whose roots went back to Poland. Maria Yumasheva (mother) is Tatar by origin, was educated at a gymnasium, so she could teach her children to read and write herself.

Mom taught her son to write and read. Afanasiev's "Fairy Tales" becomes Konstantin's primer. According to this book, a smart boy puts letters into syllables and words. Having mastered the technique of reading, the inquisitive child became acquainted with the numerous books that were present in the house. Tsiolkovsky’s older brothers and sisters considered the baby an inventor and a dreamer and did not like to listen to children’s “nonsense.” Therefore, Kostya inspiredly told his little brother his own thoughts.

At the age of 9, the child contracted scarlet fever. The painful illness caused hearing complications. Hearing loss deprived Konstantin of most of his childhood experiences, but he did not give up and became interested in craftsmanship. Cuts and glues crafts from cardboard and wood. From under the hands of a gifted child come sleighs, clocks, houses and tiny castles. He also invented a stroller that ran against the wind, thanks to a spring and a mill.

In 1868, the family was forced to move to Kirov, Vyatka province, as the father lost his job and went to join his brothers. Relatives helped the man with work, finding him a job as a forester. The Tsiolkovskys inherited a merchant's house - the former property of Shuravin. A year later, the teenager and his brother entered the men's “Vyatka Gymnasium”. The teachers turned out to be strict and the subjects difficult. Studying is difficult for Konstantin.

In 1869, his older brother, who studied at the Naval School, died. The mother, unable to survive the loss of her child, died a year later. Kostya, who dearly loved his mother, plunges into mourning. The tragic moments of his biography had a negative impact on the boy’s studies, who had not achieved excellent grades before. A 2nd grade student is left to repeat the second year due to poor academic performance, and his peers cruelly mock him for his deafness.

A student who was lagging behind in grade 3 was expelled. After this, Tsiolkovsky was forced to engage in self-education. Being at home, the teenager calmed down and began to read a lot again. They gave books necessary knowledge and did not reproach the young man, unlike the teachers. In his parents' library, Konstantin discovered the works of eminent scientists and enthusiastically began studying them.

By the age of 14, a gifted boy develops his own engineering abilities. Creates your own home lathe, with the help of which he makes non-standard gizmos: moving carriages, a windmill, a wooden locomotive and even an astrolabe. His passion for magic tricks prompted Konstantin to create “magic” chests of drawers and drawers, in which mysteriously objects “disappeared”.

Studies

The father, having examined the inventions, believed in his son’s talent. Eduard Ignatievich sends the young talent to Moscow, where he was supposed to enter the Higher technical school. It was planned that she would live with my father’s friend, to whom they wrote a letter. Absent-mindedly, Konstantin dropped the piece of paper with the address, remembering only the name of the street. Arriving at Nemetsky (Baumansky) passage, he rented a room and continued his self-education.

Due to natural shyness, the young man did not decide to enroll, but remained in the city. The father sent the child 15 rubles a month, but this money was sorely lacking.

The young man saved on food because he spent money on books and reagents. From the diaries it is known that he managed to live on 90 kopecks a month, eating only bread and water.

Every day from 10:00 to 16:00 he sits in the Chertkovsky library, where he studies mathematics, physics, literature, and chemistry. Here Konstantin meets the founder of Russian cosmism - Fedorov. Thanks to conversations with the thinker, the young man received more information than he could have learned from professors and teachers. It took the young talent three years to fully master the gymnasium program.

In 1876, Tsiolkovsky’s father became seriously ill and called his son home. Returning to Kirov, the young man recruited a class of students. He invented his own teaching methodology, which helped children fully absorb the material. Each lesson was demonstrated clearly, which made it easier to consolidate what was learned.

At the end of the year Ignat died - younger brother Konstantin. The man took this news hard, since he had loved Ignat since childhood and trusted him with his innermost secrets. After 2 years, the family returned to Ryazan, planning to buy an apartment building. At this moment, a quarrel occurs between father and son, and the young teacher leaves the family. With the money he earned from tutoring in Vyatka, he rents a room and looks for new students.

To confirm his qualifications, a man takes exams as an external student at the First Gymnasium. Having received the certificate, he is assigned to Borovsk, to his place of public service.

Scientific achievements

The young theorist draws graphs every day and systematically composes manuscripts. At home he constantly experiments, as a result of which miniature thunder rumbles in the rooms, tiny lightning flashes, and paper people dance on their own.

The Scientific Council of the Russian Federal Chemical Society decided to include Tsiolkovsky among the scientists. The committee staff realized that the self-taught genius would make a significant contribution to science.

In Kaluga, a man wrote works on astronautics, medicine, and space biology. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky is known not only for his inventions, but also for his amazing thoughts about space. His “cosmic philosophy” expanded the boundaries of living space and opened the way to heaven for man. The brilliant work “The Will of the Universe” proved to humanity that the stars are much closer than it seems.

List of scientific discoveries

• In 1886 he developed a balloon based on his own drawings.
• For 3 years, the scientist has been working on ideas related to rocket science. Tries to put a metal airship into operation.
• Using mathematical drawings and calculations, it confirms the theory about the admissibility of launching a rocket into space.
• He developed the first models of rockets launched from an inclined plane. The professor's drawings were used to create artillery installation"Katyusha".
• Built a wind tunnel.

• Designed an engine with gas turbine traction.
• He created a drawing of a monoplane and substantiated the idea of ​​a two-wing aircraft.
• I came up with a diagram of a train moving on a hovercraft.
• Invented a landing gear that extends from the lower cavity of an aircraft.
• Researched types of rocket fuels, recommending a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen.
• He wrote a science-fantasy book, “Beyond Earth,” in which he talked about amazing journey man to the moon.

Personal life

Tsiolkovsky's wedding took place in the summer of 1880. Having married without love, I hoped that such a marriage would not interfere with work. The wife was the daughter of a widower priest. Varvara and Konstantin were married for 30 years and gave birth to 7 children. Five of the children died in infancy, and the remaining two died as adults. Both sons committed suicide.

The biography of Konstantin Eduardovich is replete with tragic events. The scientist is haunted by the death of relatives, fires and floods. In 1887, the Tsiolkovsky house burned to the ground. Manuscripts, drawings and models were lost in the fire. The year 1908 is no less sad. The Oka overflowed its banks and flooded the professor’s home, destroying unique circuits and machines.

The scientific achievements of the genius were not appreciated by the workers of the Socialist Academy. The Society of World Studies Lovers saved Tsiolkovsky from starvation by awarding him a pension. The authorities remembered the existence of a talented thinker only in 1923, when the press published a report by a German physicist on space flight. The state assigned the Russian genius a lifelong subsidy.

Death

In the spring of 1935, doctors diagnosed the professor with stomach cancer. Having learned the diagnosis, the man made a will, but refused to go to hospital. Exhausted constant pain I agreed to have the operation in the fall.

Doctors urgently removed the tumor, but were unable to stop the division of cancer cells. The next day, a telegram was delivered to the hospital from, who wished a speedy recovery.

The great scientist died in the fall of the same year.

• I went deaf after scarlet fever,
• I studied the university program on my own for 3 years,
• Known as a phenomenal teacher and a favorite of children,
• Considered an atheist
• A museum was built in Kaluga, where photographs and household items of the scientist are displayed,
• Dreamed of an ideal world where there are no crimes,
• He proposed dismembering murderers into atoms,
• Calculated the flight length of a multi-stage rocket.

Quotes

• “We must abandon all the rules of morality and law that have been instilled in us if they harm higher goals. Everything is possible for us and everything is useful - this is the basic law of the new morality.”
• “Time may exist, but we do not know where to look for it. If time exists in nature, then it has not yet been discovered.”
• “For me, a rocket is only a way, only a method of penetrating into the depths of space, but by no means an end in itself... There will be another way of traveling into the depths of space, and I will accept that too. The whole point is to move from Earth and populate space.”
• “Humanity will not remain forever on Earth, but in pursuit of light and space, it will first timidly penetrate beyond the atmosphere, and then conquer the entire circumsolar space.”
• “There is no creator god, but there is a cosmos that produces suns, planets and living beings: there is no omnipotent god, but there is a universe that controls the fate of all celestial bodies and their inhabitants.”
• “What is impossible today will be possible tomorrow.”

Bibliography

• 1886 - Balloon theory
• 1890 - On the issue of flying with wings
• 1903 - Natural foundations of morality
• 1913 - Separation of man from the animal kingdom
• 1916 - Living conditions on other worlds
• 1920 - The influence of different severity on life
• 1921 - World disasters
• 1923 - The meaning of the science of matter
• 1926 - Simple solar heater
• 1927 - Conditions of biological life in the universe
• 1928 - Perfection of the Universe
• 1930 - The era of airship construction
• 1931 - Reversibility of chemical phenomena
• 1932 - Is perpetual motion possible?

Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky was born in the village of Izhevskoye, which was located in the Spassky district of the Ryazan Province, in 1857 on September 5. He was a great Soviet scientist, researcher and inventor in the field of rocket and aerodynamics, and the main founder of modern cosmonautics.

As you know, Konstantin Eduardovich was a child in a family of ordinary foresters, and in childhood, due to scarlet fever, he almost completely lost his hearing. This fact became the reason that the great scientist was unable to continue studying in high school, and he had to switch to independent study. During his teenage years Tsiolkovsky lived in Moscow, and there he studied mathematical sciences according to the program higher schools. In 1879, he successfully passed all the exams, and the next year he was appointed teacher of geometry and arithmetic at the Borovsky School, located in the Kaluga province.

It dates back to this time greatest number scientific research of Konstantin Eduardovich, which was noted by such an encyclopedist and physiologist as Ivan Mikhailovich Sechenov, which was the reason for Tsiolkovsky’s acceptance into the Russian physicochemical community. Almost all of the works of this great inventor were devoted to jet vehicles, airplanes, airships, and many other aerodynamic studies.

It is worth especially noting that it was Konstantin Eduardovich who completely owned new idea for those times of construction of an airplane with a metal casing and frame. In addition, in 1898, Tsiolkovsky became the first Russian citizen to independently develop and build a wind tunnel, which later began to be used in many flying machines.

The passion to understand the sky and space prompted Konstantin Eduardovich to write more than four hundred works, which are known only to a small circle of his admirers.

Among other things, thanks to the unique and thoughtful proposals of this great researcher, today almost all military artillery uses trestles for launching volley fire. In addition, it was Tsiolkovsky who thought of a way to refuel missiles during their actual flight.

Konstantin Eduardovich had four children: Lyubov, Ignatius, Alexander and Ivan.

In 1932, Tsiolkovsky was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and in 1954, on the centenary day, a medal was named after him, which was awarded to scientists for special works in the field of interplanetary communications.

Tsiolkovsky, Konstantin Eduardovich - Russian, and then Soviet researcher, scientist. Founder of astronautics. Aeronautics and aerodynamics researcher. Adherent of cosmism, promoter of space exploration.

Biography

Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky was born on September 17, 1857 in the small village of Izhevskoye, not far from Ryazan. Father, Eduard Ignatievich Tsiolkovsky, worked as a forester. Mother, Maria Ivanovna Yumasheva, came from a family of small nobles and was involved in housekeeping.

In 1868 the family moved to Vyatka, and in next year Konstantin entered the Vyatka gymnasium. Studying was difficult, largely due to deafness, which was a consequence of scarlet fever. In 1873, Konstantin was expelled from the gymnasium. After that, he never studied anywhere else, preferring to educate himself.

At the age of 16, Tsiolkovsky leaves for Moscow. For three years he studies mathematics, chemistry, mechanics, and astronomy. Uses a special hearing aid to communicate with others. Despite all his efforts, Konstantin is unable to provide for himself - life in the capital is too expensive for him. In 1876 he returned to his father in Vyatka.

Here he tutors and gives private lessons in mathematics and physics. The students willingly went to Tsiolkovsky, who had already established himself as an excellent teacher.

In 1878, Tsiolkovsky and his family came to Ryazan. Here he passes exams, receives a teacher's diploma and goes to work at a school in Borovsk.

At the Borovsky district school, despite the distance from the scientific centers of the country, Tsiolkovsky is actively conducting research in the field of aerodynamics. He creates the foundations of the kinetic theory of gases and sends data to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society. Mendeleev sends an answer: this discovery was already made 25 years ago. For Konstantin Eduardovich this was a real shock, but he quickly got over it. But in St. Petersburg they took into account Tsiolkovsky’s talent.

In 1892, Konstantin Eduardovich moved to Kaluga. He works again as a teacher, studying aeronautics and astronautics. Here he created a tunnel in which he tested the aerodynamics of aircraft. Tsiolkovsky asks financial assistance from the Physicochemical Society, but it does not allocate a penny for experiments. A self-taught scientist has to use family money for experiments. At his own expense, he created and thoroughly tested about 100 various models aircraft. Soon, news of the experiments still forced the Physicochemical Society to allocate 470 rubles. This money was used to create an improved wind tunnel.

During this period, Tsiolkovsky paid more and more attention to space. In 1895, his book “Dreams of Earth and Heaven” was published. A year later, work begins on the book “Research outer space using a jet engine." In this work, attention was paid to rocket engines, fuel features, and cargo transportation in space.

The beginning of the 1900s was not easy for Tsiolkovsky. In 1902, his son Ignatius committed suicide. Five years later, the Oka flooded, the water flooded the researcher’s house, irretrievably destroying many exhibits, machines, and unique calculations. The Physicochemical Society remained indifferent to Tsiolkovsky’s aircraft models and did not want to allocate money to continue research.

With the Bolshevik coming to power, Tsiolkovsky’s life became easier. Russian Society Amateurs of World Studies provided him with a pension, thanks to which the researcher did not die of hunger. In November 1919, Tsiolkovsky was arrested and taken to Lubyanka. He was lucky - he was released a few weeks later. According to some reports, thanks to the petition of one of the high-ranking party members.

In 1921, the Soviet government decided to assign Tsiolkovsky a lifelong pension.

On September 19, 1935, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky died of stomach cancer in his Kaluga home.

Tsiolkovsky's main achievements

• More than 400 works on the theory of rocketry.
• Worked to justify the possibility of space travel.
• He created the country's first aerodynamic laboratory and wind tunnel. Developed a methodology for studying the aerodynamic properties of aircraft.
• He designed a controlled balloon and created a model of an all-metal airship.
• He outlined a rigorous theory of jet propulsion. Proved the necessity of using rockets for space travel.
• Created his own gas turbine engine design.
• He proposed launching a rocket with an inclined guide. Now the method is used in multiple launch rocket systems.

Important dates in Tsiolkovsky’s biography

• September 17, 1857 - birth in the village of Izhevskoye.
• 1869 - admission to the Vyatka men's gymnasium.
• 1870 - mother's death.
• 1880 - began working as a teacher in Borovsk. He got married to Varvara Evgrafovna Sokolova.
• 1881 – father’s death.
• 1880–1883 ​​– publication scientific works“Duration of solar emission”, “Theory of gases”, “Mechanics of a changing organism”, “Free space”. Moving to Kaluga and teaching at a local district school.
• 1892 – the book “Controllable Metal Balloon” is published.
• 1896 - the beginning of rocket dynamics research.
• 1897 - creation of a wind tunnel.
• 1899 - work began at the Kaluga Diocesan Women's School.
• 1900 - creation of an improved wind tunnel.
• 1909-1911 - received patents related to the creation of airships in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Sweden, France, Great Britain, Austria, Russia, and the USA.
• 1918 – member of the Socialist Academy social sciences. Teacher of the Kaluga Unified Labor Soviet School.
• 1919 - the commission rejects the airship project for Soviet army. Writing an autobiography “Fate, rock, destiny.” Arrest and several weeks in Lubyanka.
• 1921 – design technician at the Kaluga Gubernia Economic Council. Assignment of a lifetime pension - 500,000 rubles. per month.
• 1929 – meeting with Sergei Korolev.
• 1935 – writing of the autobiography “Characters from My Life.”
• September 19, 1935 - Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky died of cancer.

• Tsiolkovsky's ideas inspired Alexander Belyaev to create a science fiction novel called "KETS Star".
• At the age of 14, he made a lathe from scrap materials, and at 15, he made a hot air balloon.
• During the fire in Tsiolkovsky's house, only the sewing machine survived.

TSIOLKOVSKY, KONSTANTIN EDUARDOVICH(1857–1935), Russian scientist, pioneer of astronautics and rocketry. Born on September 17 (29), 1857 in the village of Izhevskoye near Ryazan. After suffering from scarlet fever in childhood, he almost completely lost his hearing, which deprived him of the opportunity to enroll in educational institution. He received his education independently, and in 1879 he passed the exams for the title of teacher as an external student. He taught physics and mathematics at the Borovsky district school in the Kaluga province, and then at the gymnasium and diocesan school in Kaluga, where he worked until his retirement in 1920. Tsiolkovsky conducted his research in a kind of intellectual vacuum, although he was supported by some prominent scientists (one of his works received a favorable review from I.M. Sechenov). The first works were devoted to the development of designs for an all-metal controllable airship, a streamlined airplane, and a hovercraft train. In 1897, Tsiolkovsky built the first wind tunnel in Russia and tested the simplest models.

In the 1890s, Tsiolkovsky began to engage in research related to the use of jet propulsion to create interplanetary vehicles. In 1903 his article was published Exploration of world spaces using jet instruments. In it and subsequent works (1911 and 1914), the scientist derived the now widely known equation of motion of a rocket as a body with variable mass, substantiated the possibility of using rockets for interplanetary communications, predicted the phenomenon of weightlessness, outlined the fundamentals of the theory of liquid rocket engines, examined and recommended various fuels for use (the most effective is a mixture of liquid oxygen and hydrogen). He expressed the idea of ​​​​creating near-Earth orbital stations as intermediate bases for interplanetary flights.

He was influenced by the “philosophy of the common cause” of N. Fedorov. In his philosophical writings, the scientist developed the doctrine of “panpsychism” (“monism”), according to which the cosmos is a living and animate being. Atoms form an infinite variety of life forms in the Universe, including humans (this was discussed in the works of 1898–1914: Scientific foundations of religion, Ethics or Natural foundations of morality, Nirvana and etc). In Tsiolkovsky’s late work, a grandiose planetary and cosmic utopia occupies a central place. In creating an ideal society Tsiolkovsky decisive role devoted to science, its new, truly fantastic possibilities (his works are devoted to social design: Grief and genius, 1916; Ideal way of life, 1917; Social order, 1917; Sociology(fantasy), 1918; Adventures of the Atom, 1918). The scientist’s disappointment in civilization and the possibilities of scientific knowledge are associated with his religious and mystical quests in the last period of his life and the experience of building a new ethical system ( Living Universe, 1923; Will of the Universe, 1928; The future of the earth and humanity, 1928; Scientific ethics, 1930; Space philosophy, 1935).

Tsiolkovsky’s work did not receive recognition, and only after the appearance of G. Oberth’s article on the theory of space flight in Germany in 1923, the USSR began to popularize Tsiolkovsky’s research. In 1924 Tsiolkovsky was elected honorary professor of the Academy air fleet them. A.E. Zhukovsky. Tsiolkovsky died in Kaluga on September 19, 1935.

The topic of today's article is short biography K. E. Tsiolkovsky. This world-famous scientist lived his life so that we would one day witness the first human flight into space. Tsiolkovsky’s biography is interesting and rich; we will try to briefly talk about all his achievements.

A little about the Tsiolkovsky family

Konstantin Eduardovich was born into the family of a forester on September 17, 1857. His mother was from a poor noble family, ran a household and raised children. She herself taught her sons writing, reading and arithmetic.

When Konstantin was three years old, the family had to leave the quiet village of Izhevskoye and start new life in Ryazan. The head of the family, Eduard Ignatievich, encountered difficulties in his work, and he had no choice but to take his family away.

School years

Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, whose biography is known to many, entered the Vyatka Men's Gymnasium in 1868. The family moved to this city after a long stay in Ryazan.

Education was not good for the child. Tsiolkovsky, whose brief biography is described in this article, had suffered from scarlet fever, and now had difficulty hearing. He became practically deaf, and teachers could not give him the necessary knowledge in the field of science, so in 1873 they decided to expel him for poor academic performance. After this, the future great scientist did not study anywhere, preferring to study independently at home.

Private tutoring

Tsiolkovsky's biography contains several years of life in Moscow. A sixteen-year-old boy went there to study chemistry, mechanics, mathematics and astronomy. They bought him a hearing aid, and now he could study along with all the students. He spent a lot of time in the library, where he met N. F. Fedorov, one of the founders of cosmism.

K. E. Tsiolkovsky, whose biography in the capital in those years did not have highlights, tries to live independently, because he understands that his parents cannot help him financially. For some time he copes, but still this life is too expensive, and he returns to Vyatka to work as a private tutor.

In his city, he immediately established himself as a good teacher, and people came to him to study physics and mathematics. The children willingly studied with Konstantin Eduardovich, and he tried to explain the material to them more clearly. He developed teaching methods himself, and the key was visual demonstration so that children understood what exactly was being discussed.

First research in aerodynamics

In 1878, the guy left for Ryazan and there received a diploma as a qualified teacher. He did not go back to Vyatka, but began to work as a teacher at the Borovsk school.

In this school, despite its remoteness from all scientific centers, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky begins to actively conduct research into aerodynamics. A short biography of the aspiring scientist describes the events when, having created the foundations of the kinetic theory of gases, he sends the result of his work to the Russian Physical-Chemical Society. Mendeleev's answer was unexpected: the discovery had already been made a quarter of a century ago. This was a real shock for Konstantin Eduardovich, but he was able to quickly pull himself together and forget about the failure. But this discovery still bore fruit; his talent was appreciated in St. Petersburg.

Wind tunnel

Since 1892, Tsiolkovsky’s biography has continued with his life and works in Kaluga. He gets a job as a teacher again and continues Scientific research in the field of astronautics and aeronautics. Here he created an aerodynamic tunnel in which the aerodynamics of possible aircraft are tested. The scientist does not have the means for a deeper study, and he asks for assistance from the Russian Physico-Chemical Society. Remembering Tsiolkovsky’s past unsuccessful experience, scientists believe that there is no point in allocating money for his work, and send a refusal in response.

This is a decision from the outside researchers does not stop the researcher. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, whose biography says that he was from a poor family, decides to take money from his personal savings and continues to work.

The family's funds were enough to create and test more than a hundred models of aircraft. Soon they began to talk about the scientist, and rumors about his persistence reached the Physicochemical Society, which refused to finance his projects. Scientists became interested in the experiments of Konstantin Eduardovich and decided to allocate 470 rubles to continue his work. Tsiolkovsky, whose short biography is still interesting to people, spent these funds on improving his wind tunnel.

Books by Tsiolkovsky

Konstantin Eduardovich devotes more and more time to space exploration. He put a lot of work into the book “Dreams of Earth and Heaven,” which was published in 1895. This is not his only work. A year later, he begins work on another book - “Exploration of outer space using a jet engine.” Here he describes the features of the composition of fuel for rocket engines and the possibilities of transporting goods in space. This book became the main one for the scientist, in which he talked about the most important scientific achievements.

Tsiolkovsky Konstantin Eduardovich: family

Konstantin Eduardovich met his wife, Varvara Evgrafovna Sokolova, in the late 70s of the nineteenth century. She was the daughter of the owner of the house in which the young scientist rented a room. The young people got married in 1880 and soon became parents.

Varvara and Konstantin had three sons - Ignatius, Ivan and Alexander - their only daughter Sophia. In 1902, misfortune came to the family: their eldest son Ignatius committed suicide. Parents for a long time recovered from this shock.

Tsiolkovsky's misfortunes

Tsiolkovsky's biography contains a number of misfortunes. Troubles befell the scientist, sparing no one or anything. In 1881, Konstantin Eduardovich’s father died. Six years after this event, in 1887, he scientific works were completely destroyed by fire. There was a fire in their house, it left behind only a sewing machine, and modules, drawings, important notes and all other acquired property were turned into ashes.

In 1902, as we already wrote, his eldest son passed away. And in 1907, five years after the tragedy, water broke into the scientist’s house. The Oka overflowed heavily and flooded Tsiolkovsky’s home. This element destroyed unique calculations, various exhibits and machines that Konstantin Eduardovich treasured.

IN further life this man was getting worse and worse. The Physicochemical Society, once interested in the scientist’s work, no longer wanted to finance his research and the creation of new models of aircraft. His family became practically destitute. Years of work were wasted, everything created was burned by fire and carried away by water. Konstantin Eduardovich had neither the funds nor the desire to create new inventions.

In 1923, another son, Alexander, committed suicide. Konstantin Eduardovich experienced and suffered a lot, and last years life turned out to be more favorable to the scientist.

Last few years

Rejected by the scientific community, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, whose short biography is described in our article, practically died in poverty. He was saved by someone who came new government in 1921. The scientist was assigned a small but lifelong pension, with which he could buy some food so as not to die of hunger.

After the death of his second son, Konstantin Eduardovich’s life changed radically. The Soviet authorities appreciated his works, set out in his book about rocket engines and fuel. The scientist was allocated housing, the living conditions in which were more comfortable than in the previous one. They began to talk about him, began to value his past works, and used research, calculations, and models for the benefit of science.

In 1929, Tsiolkovsky personally met with Sergei Korolev himself. He made many proposals and drawings, which were appreciated.

Literally before his death, in 1935, Konstantin Eduardovich finished work on his autobiography, from which we learned many details of his life, all the joys and experiences. The book is called "Characters from my life."

In 1935, on September 19, the great scientist died of stomach cancer. He died and was buried in Kaluga, where the main years of his life passed. Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky made a huge contribution to the study and conquest of space. Without his work, it is unknown which country would be the first to send a man into space. He deserved more happy life and universal recognition. It is a pity that his works were appreciated so late, when the scientist experienced a lot of grief and loss.

Achievements of Tsiolkovsky and interesting facts from his life

Few people know that at the age of fourteen, Konstantin Eduardovich himself, using only improvised means, was able to assemble a lathe. And when the boy was fifteen years old, he surprised everyone with his new invention - balloon. He was a brilliant man from childhood.

Fans of science fiction novels are, of course, familiar with the work of Alexander Belyaev “The Star of KETS”. The writer was inspired to create this book by the ideas of Tsiolkovsky.

Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, whose brief biography is included in this article, during his career he created more than four hundred works on the theory of rocketry. He substantiated theories about the possibility of travel in space.

This scientist was the creator of the country's first wind tunnel and laboratory for researching the aerodynamic properties of flight devices. He also designed a model of an airship made of solid metal and a controllable balloon.

Tsiolkovsky proved that rockets are needed for space travel, and not others. aircrafts. He outlined the most rigorous theory of jet propulsion.

Konstantin Eduardovich created a diagram of a gas turbine engine and proposed launching rockets from an inclined position. This method is still used in multiple launch rocket systems.