Mars Rafikov

{{Short description|Soviet cosmonaut}} {{Infobox astronaut | name = Mars Rafikov | native_name = Марс Рафиков<br>Марс Рәфиков | image = Mars Rafikov.jpg | caption = Rafikov, c. 1960s | type = Cosmonaut | birth_date = {{Birth date|1933|9|29|df=y}} | birth_place = Dzhalal-Abad, Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic | death_date = {{Death date and age|2000|7|23|1933|9|29|df=y}} | death_place = Almaty, Kazakhstan | occupation = Jet fighter pilot | rank = Soviet Air Force | selection = Air Force Group 1 | space_time = | missions = | insignia = }}

'''Mars Zakirovich Rafikov''' ({{langx|ru|Марс Закирович Рафиков}}, {{langx|tt|Марс Закир улы Рәфиков}}; 29 September 1933 – 23 July 2000) was a Soviet cosmonaut who was dismissed from the Soviet space program for disciplinary reasons.

== Career == Senior Lieutenant Rafikov, age 26, was selected as one of the original 20 cosmonauts on 7 March 1960 along with Yuri Gagarin.

On 24 March 1962, Rafikov was dismissed from the cosmonaut corps, officially for "a variety of offenses, including womanizing and 'gallivanting' in Moscow restaurants, and so forth".<ref>Asif Siddiqi, "Sputnik and the Soviet Space Challenge", 2000, p. 374</ref> Other cosmonauts (notably Gagarin) had exhibited similar behavior, but could not be officially disciplined because of their stature and international reputation. Gherman Titov later suggested that the real reason for his dismissal was because he and his wife had divorced.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/3264.html#4 |title=Johnson's Russia List |date=1999-04-29 |website=www.cdi.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060317002445/http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/3264.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-03-17}}</ref>

He remained in the military, serving as a pilot in the Soviet–Afghan War.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/cosmonauts/english/rafikov_mars.htm|title = Cosmonaut Biography: Mars Rafikov}}</ref>

To protect the image of the space program, efforts were made to cover up the reason for Rafikov's dismissal. His image, like that of others who were dismissed, was airbrushed out of cosmonaut photos. This airbrushing led to speculation about "lost cosmonauts" even though the actual reasons were often mundane.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030117.html |title=The Straight Dope: Are there really "Lost Cosmonauts" stranded in space? |website=www.straightdope.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030119061157/http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030117.html |archive-date=2003-01-19}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060925145212/http://www.vectorsite.net/tamrc_12.html Details of the Soviet training program and launch]}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100131155427/http://astronautix.com/astros/rafikov.htm Biographical details] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060317002445/http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/3264.html#4 Titov recounts about disappearing cosmonauts] * [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030117.html Straight Dope entry about lost cosmonauts]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rafikov, Mars Zakirovich}} Category:1933 births Category:2000 deaths Category:Soviet cosmonauts Category:Soviet Air Force officers Category:Soviet military personnel of the Soviet–Afghan War Category:Syzran Higher Military Aviation School alumni