The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity

Yangel, Mikhail K. (1911–1971)
One of the three most important designers of liquidpropellant
rockets in the Soviet Union, the other
two being Sergei Korolev and Vladimir Chelomei. Yangel
began his career in the aviation industry and
joined Korolev’s OKB-1 enterprise almost by chance.
As Korolev’s associate, he set up a rocket propulsion
center in Dnepropetrovsk in the Ukraine, which later
formed the basis of his own OKB-586 bureau. At first,
Yangel’s facility served to mass-produce and further
develop intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that
Korolev originated. However, Yangel quickly became a
major competitor, not only as a developer of ICBMs,
such as the R-12, R-14, and R-36 (see “R” series of
Russian missiles), but also of several series of space
launch vehicles, including the Zenit, Cosmos (launch
vehicle), and Tsyklon.
Yantar
Soviet photo-reconnaissance satellites. Scores of Yantars
(their name means “amber”) were launched in the 1970s
and 1980s. However, the Russian photo-reconnaissance
satellite program has been running at a low level in
recent years, with only one launch in 1999 and three in
2000.
Currently three types of Yantar are flown. The closelook
Yantar-4K2s, codenamed Kobalt, have three reentry
vehicles: two small film-return capsules that can return
data while the main satellite continues to operate in
orbit, and a conical main descent module that is recovered
with the camera system and remaining film at the
end of the mission. Yantar-1KFTs, codenamed Kometa,
carry out missions to update topographic and mapping
data maintained by the Ministry of Defense. The operational
lifetime of satellites like Kometa and Kobalt are
limited by the amount of film they can carry. However
this limitation is overcome with the Yantar-4KS1 Neman
satellites. These return images digitally via radio link,
either direct to Russian controllers or via data relay satellites
in the Potok system that are in geosynchronous
orbit. With Neman, the lifetime is limited by the amount
of propellant carried for orbital maneuvering. A fourth
type of photo-reconnaissance satellite currently used by
Russia is the Orlets-2. Unlike the 6.6 to 7 ton Yantar-class
satellites, which are launched by Soyuz-Us, the 12-ton
Orlets requires the much larger Zenit-2.
Y
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Yardley, John F. (1925–2001)
A leading figure in the early days of human spaceflight
and the Space Shuttle program. Yardley served as associate
administrator for manned space flight, a post in
which he led the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and Spacelab,
and was responsible for the development and acquisition
of the Space Shuttle. In 1981, following the first
successful Space Shuttle mission, he returned to private
industry to serve as president of the former McDonnell
Douglas Astronautics. He was awarded NASA’s Public
Service Medal for his outstanding contributions to the
Mercury and Gemini Programs in 1963 and 1966.
Yavne
A classified Israeli launch complex located at or near Palmachim
Air Force Base at 31.5° N, 34.5° E. Launches are
limited to retrograde orbits because of range safety
restrictions.
yaw
The lateral, rotational, or oscillatory movement of a vehicle
about its vertical axis. The amount of movement is
measured in degrees.
Yeager, Charles (“Chuck”) E. (1923–)
A U.S. Air Force test pilot who, on October 14, 1947,
piloted the X-1 on the first supersonic powered flight—an
event he almost missed. The Sunday before his recordbreaking
mission, while horseback riding, Yeager hit a
fence that had been closed across a road, and he cracked
two ribs. Instead of informing the flight surgeon and risking
being grounded, Yeager and a friend decided he could
fly the plane but would have difficulty reaching over to
lock the cockpit door. His friend cut off a piece of broomstick,
which Yeager used to push the locking mechanism
closed before taking off on his historic flight. Upon his
return, only a few were able to congratulate him immediately
on his achievement. The X-1 project was classified at
the time, and his speed record was not made public until
June 1948. In later years, Yeager served in several Air Force
positions, retiring as a brigadier general. 318
Yohkoh
A Japanese-led mission, launched by ISAS (Institute of
Space and Astronautical Science) with collaboration
from the United States and Britain, that in 2001 cele-