Tsiolkovsky years of life and death. Brief biography of Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky

Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky is a name that was inextricably linked with space exploration, several decades before it happened. The founder of theoretical cosmism, a prominent scientist who made a huge contribution to the development of science in the twentieth century.

How major works can be distinguished:

"Out of Earth"
“Monism of the Universe. Cause of space"
"Friction and Air Resistance"
“Exploration of world spaces using jet instruments”

Coming from a Polish noble family, the son of Eduard Tsiolkovsky and Maria Yumasheva, was born on September 5, 1857 in the village of Izhevsk, near Ryazan.

Tsiolkovsky received his first and only education at the gymnasium, but his studies were difficult for him due to partial deafness, which struck him at the age of ten, and after the death of his mother (1870), the boy, who had not previously excelled in his studies, began to study even worse, alone once stayed for a second year, and in 1873 he was expelled.

Believing in his son, Eduard Tsiolkovsky in the same year sent his son to Moscow to enter the technical school (now Bauman Moscow State Technical University), where Konstantin did not enter. However, he did not return back. He started studying on his own, surviving on 10-15 rubles/month.

Tsiolkovsky’s “educational institution” became the Chertkovsky Public Library (the only free library in Moscow at that time), where he studied basic technical and natural science subjects - physics, mechanics, astronomy, algebra, geometry, etc. In three years, the gymnasium and half of the university curriculum were mastered.

In 1876, his father called him back to Vyatka, where he began tutoring and also became interested in aerodynamics.

In 1878, K. Tsiolkovsky, for family reasons, moved to Ryazan, where he took the exam for the title of teacher and received his first assignment to the public service - a teacher at the Borovsky district school, while continuing his research. In 1879, a centrifugal machine was built and experiments were carried out to increase the weight of animals.

1880 – move to Borovsk. While working at the district school, Tsiolkovsky increasingly continued to develop as a scientist and researcher; his first work, “Graphic Representation of Sensations,” is interesting because of the laws of mechanics in biology; the work mathematically substantiated the meaninglessness of human life.

1881 – “Theory of Gases”, a study submitted for consideration to the Russian Federal Chemical Society. The conclusions drawn in it were based only on the books that Tsiolkovsky had at his disposal, and his isolation from the world of science predetermined the disappointing verdict of Mendeleev - this theory was discovered 25 years ago. However, the Society did not ignore Tsiolkovsky’s exceptional independence in scientific research.

The main problem that occupied Tsiolkovsky's entire mind was balloon theory, the development of which the researcher began with the development of his own balloon - an airship design with a shell made of corrugated metal. Despite numerous drawings, experiments and research, Tsiolkovsky never succeeded in completing the creation of the balloon.

The year 1900 was marked by the decision of the Academy of Sciences to assist Tsiolkovsky in carrying out all the experiments that interested him, and on the basis of empirical experience he derived his main formula. It was this that became the basis of the work “Exploration of World Spaces”<…>”.

In this innovative study, Tsiolkovsky theoretically showed and substantiated the impracticability of overcoming the stratosphere in a balloon, and expressed the idea of orienting the on-board system according to the celestial bodies. However, the result was completely different from what Tsiolkovsky expected to see - he didn't find recognition neither at home nor abroad.

The revolution of 1917 changed the life of the scientist, he received well-deserved recognition, and the following year he was appointed to a pension, which he received for the rest of his life.

Tsiolkovsky is not only a scientist, but also a philosopher; he is also called one of the founders of Russian cosmism. A panpsychist, he argued that all matter has sensitivity; Tsiolkovsky also developed the eugenic theory, according to which the future of humanity depends on the number of geniuses born (and to increase their birth rate it is necessary that best women were born exclusively from the best men).

01/19/1935 – date of death of K. E. Tsiolkovsky from stomach cancer in Kaluga. He left behind treatises on astronomy, geophysics, and jet aircraft, the development of which was undertaken by a specially formed commission at the Academy of Sciences.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky's brief biography is presented in this article and can be supplemented.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky short biography

Born into the family of a forester in the village of Izhevskoye, Ryazan Province, in 1857 on September 5. After suffering from scarlet fever in childhood, he almost completely lost his hearing; Deafness did not allow him to continue his studies at school, and from the age of 14 he studied independently.

From 16 to 19 years old he lived in Moscow, studied physical and mathematical sciences in the secondary and high school. In 1879, he passed the exams for the title of teacher as an external student and in 1880 was appointed teacher of arithmetic and geometry at the Borovsk district school in the Kaluga province.

For 12 years, Tsiolkovsky lived and worked in Borovsk, teaching arithmetic and geometry. There he married Varvara Evgrafovna Sokolova, who became his faithful assistant and adviser.

While teaching, Tsiolkovsky began to engage in scientific work.
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 to launch multiple rocket launchers. In addition, it was Tsiolkovsky who thought of a way to refuel missiles during their actual flight.

Scientific activity occupied all of Tsiolkovsky’s free time, but his main work for many years was still teaching. His lessons aroused students' interest and gave them practical skills and knowledge. Only in November 1921, at the age of 64, Tsiolkovsky left his teaching job.

After the Great October Revolution socialist revolution his scientific work received government support. In 1918, Tsiolkovsky was elected a member of the Socialist Academy. In 1921, Tsiolkovsky was assigned an increased personal pension.

SIBERIAN STATE GEODETIC ACADEMY

Institute of Geodesy and Management

Department of Astronomy and Gravimetry

Abstract on the discipline “General Astronomy”

"Tsiolkovsky. Biography and highlights scientific works»

Novosibirsk 2010

Introduction

1. Childhood and self-education K.E. Tsiolkovsky

2. Scientific works

3. Scientific achievements

4. Tsiolkovsky as an opponent of Einstein’s theory of relativity

5. Tsiolkovsky’s awards and perpetuation of his memory

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

I chose this topic, because Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky is a scientist with capital letters. His scientific works have been studied and will continue to be studied for a long time. Tsiolkovsky made a great contribution to the development of natural sciences, so such a person cannot be ignored. He is an author on aerodynamics, aeronautics and many others. Representative of Russian cosmism, member of the Russian Society of World Studies Lovers. Author of science fiction works, supporter and propagandist of the idea of exploration outer space using orbital stations, put forward the idea of a space elevator. He believed that the development of life on one of the planets of the Universe would reach such power and perfection that this would make it possible to overcome the forces of gravity and spread life throughout the Universe.

Childhood and self-education K.E. Tsiolkovsky

Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky was born on September 5, 1857, in the family of a Polish nobleman who served in the department of state property, in the village of Izhevskoye near Ryazan. He was baptized in St. Nicholas Church. The name Konstantin was completely new in the Tsiolkovsky family; it was given after the name of the priest who baptized the baby.

Konstantin had a chance to live in Izhevsk for only a short time - the first three years of his life, and he had almost no memories of this period. Eduard Ignatievich (Konstantin's father) began to have troubles in his service - his superiors were dissatisfied with his liberal attitude towards local peasants. In 1860, Konstantin’s father received a transfer to Ryazan to the position of clerk of the Forestry Department, and soon began teaching natural history in the surveying and taxation classes of the Ryazan gymnasium and received a chintitular adviser.

Tsiolkovsky and his brothers’ primary education was provided to them by their mother. It was she who taught Konstantin to read (and his mother taught him only the alphabet, but Tsiolkovsky himself figured out how to put words together from letters), write, and introduced him to the basics of arithmetic.

At the age of 9, Tsiolkovsky, while sledding in winter, caught a cold and fell ill with scarlet fever. As a result of complications from the illness, he lost his hearing. There came what Konstantin Eduardovich later called “the saddest, darkest time of my life.” At this time, Tsiolkovsky first began to show interest in craftsmanship.

In 1868, the Tsiolkovsky family moved to Vyatka. In 1869, together with his younger brother Ignatius, he entered the first class of the Vyatka men's gymnasium. Studying was difficult, there were a lot of subjects, the teachers were strict. Deafness was a big problem. In the same year, sad news came from St. Petersburg - the elder brother Dmitry, who studied at the Naval School, died. This death shocked the whole family, but especially Maria Ivanovna. In 1870, Kostya’s mother, whom he loved dearly, died unexpectedly. Grief crushed the orphaned boy. Already not shining with success in his studies, oppressed by the misfortunes that befell him, Kostya studied worse and worse. He became much more acutely aware of his deafness, which made him more and more isolated. For his pranks, he was repeatedly punished and ended up in a punishment cell.

In the second grade, Tsiolkovsky stayed for the second year, and was expelled from the third. After which Konstantin Eduardovich never studied anywhere - he studied exclusively on his own. Books become the boy's only friends. Unlike gymnasium teachers, books generously endow him with knowledge and never make the slightest reproach.

At the same time, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky became involved in technical and scientific creativity. He independently made a home lathe, self-propelled carriages and locomotives. I was interested in magic tricks and was thinking about a project for a car with wings.

His son's abilities become obvious to the father, and he decides to send the boy to Moscow to continue his education. Every day from 10 a.m. until 3–4 p.m., the young man studies science in the Chertkovo Public Library, the only free library in Moscow at that time.

Work in the library was subject to a clear routine. In the morning, Konstantin studied exact and natural sciences, which required concentration and clarity of mind. Then he switched to simpler material: fiction and journalism. He actively studied “thick” magazines, where both review scientific articles and journalistic articles were published. I enthusiastically read Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, Turgenev, and admired the articles of Dmitry Pisarev: “Pisarev made me tremble with joy and happiness. In him I then saw my second “I.” During the first year of his life in Moscow, Tsiolkovsky studied physics and basic mathematics. In 1874, the Chertkovsky Library moved to the building of the Rumyantsev Museum. In the new reading room, Konstantin studies differential and integral calculus, higher algebra, analytical and spherical geometry. Then astronomy, mechanics, chemistry. In three years, Konstantin completely mastered the gymnasium curriculum, as well as a significant part of the university curriculum. Unfortunately, his father could no longer pay for his stay in Moscow and, moreover, was not feeling well and was preparing to retire. With the knowledge gained, Konstantin could already begin independent work in the provinces, as well as continue their education outside of Moscow. In the fall of 1876, Eduard Ignatievich called his son back to Vyatka, and Konstantin returned home.

Konstantin returned to Vyatka weak, emaciated and emaciated. Difficult living conditions in Moscow and intense work also led to deterioration of vision. After returning home, Tsiolkovsky began wearing glasses. Having regained his strength, Konstantin began giving private lessons in physics and mathematics. I learned my first lesson thanks to my father’s connections in liberal society. Having proven himself to be a talented teacher, he subsequently had no shortage of students. When teaching lessons, Tsiolkovsky used his own original methods, the main one of which was a visual demonstration - Konstantin made paper models of polyhedra for geometry lessons, together with his students he conducted numerous experiments in physics lessons, which earned him the reputation of a teacher who explains the material well and clearly, and whose classes are always interesting. He spent all his free time there or in the library. I read a lot - special literature, fiction, journalism. According to his autobiography, at this time he read “Principia” by Isaac Newton, whose scientific views Tsiolkovsky adhered to for the rest of his life.

At the end of 1876, Konstantin's younger brother Ignatius died. The brothers were very close from childhood, Konstantin trusted Ignatius with his innermost thoughts, and his brother’s death was a heavy blow. By 1877, Eduard Ignatievich was already very weak and ill, which affected tragic death wife and children (except for the sons Dmitry and Ignatius during these years the Tsiolkovskys lost their most youngest daughter- Catherine - she died in 1875, during the absence of Constantine), the head of the family retired. In 1878, the entire Tsiolkovsky family returned to Ryazan.

Scientific works

Tsiolkovsky's very first work was devoted to mechanics in biology. It was the article “Graphic representation of sensations” written in 1880. In it, Tsiolkovsky developed the pessimistic theory of “turbulent zero”, characteristic of him at that time, and mathematically substantiated the idea of the meaninglessness of human life. Tsiolkovsky sent this article to the Russian Thought magazine, but it was not published there and the manuscript was not returned. Tsiolkovsky switched to other topics.

In 1881, Tsiolkovsky wrote his first genuine scientific work, “Theories of Gases.” Tsiolkovsky independently developed the foundations of the kinetic theory of gases.

Although the article itself did not represent anything new and the conclusions in it are not entirely accurate, nevertheless, it reveals great abilities and hard work in the author, since the author was not brought up in educational institution and owes his knowledge solely to himself...

The second scientific work was the 1882 article “Mechanics like a variable organism.”

The third work was the article “Duration of Radiation of the Sun” in 1883, in which Tsiolkovsky described the mechanism of action of the star. He considered the Sun as an ideal gas ball, tried to determine the temperature and pressure at its center, and the lifetime of the Sun. Tsiolkovsky used only the basic laws of mechanics and gases in his calculations.

Tsiolkovsky's next work, “Free Space,” 1883, was written in the form of a diary. This is a kind of thought experiment, the story is told on behalf of an observer who is in free airless space and does not experience the forces of attraction and resistance. Tsiolkovsky describes the sensations of such an observer, his capabilities and limitations in movement and manipulation of various objects. He analyzes the behavior of gases and liquids in “free space”, the functioning of various devices, and the physiology of living organisms - plants and animals. The main result of this work can be considered the principle first formulated by Tsiolkovsky about the only possible method of movement in “free space” - jet propulsion.

In 1885, Tsiolkovsky developed a balloon of his own design, which resulted in the voluminous essay “Theory and Experience of a Balloon Having an Elongated Shape in the Horizontal Direction.” It provided scientific and technical justification for the creation of a completely new and original airship design with a thin metal shell. Tsiolkovsky provided drawings common types balloon and some important components of its design. The main features of the airship developed by Tsiolkovsky:

The volume of the shell was variable, which made it possible to maintain a constant lifting force at different heights flight and temperature atmospheric air surrounding the airship.

Tsiolkovsky avoided the use of explosive hydrogen; his airship was filled with hot air. The lifting height of the airship could be adjusted using a separately developed heating system.

The thin metal shell was also corrugated, which increased its strength and stability.

In 1887, Tsiolkovsky wrote a short story “On the Moon” - his first science fiction work. The story in many ways continues the traditions of “Free Space”, but is presented in a more artistic form and has a complete, albeit very conventional, plot. Two nameless heroes - the author and his friend - unexpectedly end up on the moon. The main and only task of the work is to describe the impressions of the observer located on its surface.

Tsiolkovsky describes the view of the sky and luminaries observed from the surface of the Moon. He analyzed in detail the consequences of low gravity, the absence of an atmosphere, and other features of the Moon (rotation speed around the Earth and the Sun, constant orientation relative to the Earth). The story also talks about the expected behavior of gases and liquids and measuring instruments.

In the period from October 6, 1890 – May 18, 1891, based on experiments on air resistance, Tsiolkovsky wrote a large work, “On the Question of Flying with Wings.” The manuscript was handed over to A.G. Stoletov, who gave it to N.E. for review. Zhukovsky, who wrote a reserved but quite favorable review.

In February 1894, Konstantin Eduardovich wrote the work “Airplane or bird-like (aviation) machine.” In it he gave a diagram of the aerodynamic scales he designed.

He also built a special installation that allows you to measure some aerodynamic parameters aircraft.

Study of aerodynamic properties of bodies various shapes and possible designs for aerial vehicles gradually led Tsiolkovsky to think about options for flight in airless space and the conquest of space. In 1895, his book “Dreams of Earth and Sky” was published, and a year later an article was published about other worlds, intelligent beings from other planets and about the communication of earthlings with them.

In 1896, Konstantin Eduardovich began writing his main work, “The Study of World Spaces with Reactive Instruments.” In 1903, in the journal Scientific Review, K.E. Tsiolkovsky published this work, “in which the possibility of implementing space flights using liquid rockets and the basic calculation formulas for their flight are given. Konstantin Eduardovich was the first in the history of science to strictly formulate and study rectilinear movement rockets as bodies of variable mass.

The discovery of K.E. Tsiolkovsky indicated the main ways to improve rockets: increasing the gas flow rate and increasing the relative fuel supply. The second part of the work, “Exploration of world spaces using jet instruments,” was published in 1911-1912. in the journal "Bulletin of Aeronautics". In 1914, an addition to the first and second parts of the work of the same name was published as a separate brochure published by the author. In 1926, the work “Exploration of World Spaces by Reactive Instruments” was republished with some additions and changes. A feature of the scientist’s creative method was the unity of scientific and theoretical research and the analysis and development of possible ways of their practical implementation. K.E. Tsiolkovsky scientifically substantiated the problems associated with rocket space flight. He examined in detail everything related to the rocket (single- and multi-stage): the laws of rocket motion, the principle of its design, issues of energy, control, testing, ensuring the reliability of systems, creating acceptable living conditions and even selecting a psychologically compatible crew. Tsiolkovsky did not limit himself to pointing out a means of human penetration into space - a rocket, but also gave detailed description engine. His ideas about the choice of liquid two-component fuel, about regenerative cooling of the combustion chamber and engine nozzle with fuel components, ceramic insulation of structural elements, separate storage and pumping of fuel components into the combustion chamber, about controlling the thrust vector by turning the output part of the nozzle and gas rudders turned out to be prophetic. Konstantin Eduardovich also thought about the possibility of using other types of fuel, in particular, the energy of the decay of atoms. He expressed this idea in 1911. In the same year, K.E. Tsiolkovsky put forward the idea of creating electric jet engines, pointing out that “perhaps with the help of electricity it will be possible over time to impart enormous speed to the particles ejected from the jet device.”

The scientist examined many specific questions related to the device spaceship. In 1926, K.E. Tsiolkovsky proposed using a two-stage rocket to achieve the first cosmic speed, and in 1929, in his work “Space rocket trains"gave a harmonious mathematical theory multistage rocket. In 1934-1935 In the manuscript "Fundamentals of construction of gas engines, engines and aircraft" he proposed another way to achieve cosmic speeds, called the "rocket squadron". Especially great value The scientist focused on the problem of creating interplanetary stations. In solving this problem, he saw the possibility of fulfilling a long-standing dream of man conquering the circumsolar space and creating “ethereal settlements” in the future. K.E. Tsiolkovsky outlined a grandiose plan for the conquest of world spaces, which is currently being successfully implemented.

Tsiolkovsky interplanetary rocketry aerodynamics

Scientific achievements

K.E. Tsiolkovsky claimed that he developed the theory of rocket science only as an application to his philosophical research. He wrote more than 400 works, most of which are little known to the general reader due to their dubious values.

First scientific research Tsiolkovsky date back to 1880–1881. Not knowing about the discoveries already made, he wrote the work “Theory of Gases,” in which he outlined the foundations of the kinetic theory of gases. His second work, “Mechanics of the Animal Organism,” received a favorable review from I.M. Sechenov, and Tsiolkovsky was admitted to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society.

Tsiolkovsky's main works after 1884 were associated with four big problems: scientific justification for an all-metal balloon (airship), a streamlined airplane, a hovercraft train and a rocket for interplanetary travel.

In his apartment he created the first aerodynamic laboratory in Russia. Tsiolkovsky built the first wind tunnel in Russia with an open working part in 1897, developed an experimental technique in it, and in 1900, with a subsidy from the Academy of Sciences, made blowing of the simplest models. Determined the drag coefficient of a ball, flat plate, cylinder, cone and other bodies. Tsiolkovsky described the flow of air around bodies of various geometric shapes.

Tsiolkovsky studied the mechanics of controlled flight, as a result of which he designed a controlled balloon. Konstantin Eduardovich was the first to propose the idea of an all-metal airship and build its model. The Tsiolkovsky airship project, progressive for its time, was not supported; the author was denied a subsidy for the construction of the model.

In 1892 he turned to the new and little-studied field of heavier-than-air aircraft. Tsiolkovsky came up with the idea of building an airplane with a metal frame.

Since 1896, Tsiolkovsky systematically studied the theory of motion of jet vehicles. Thoughts on use rocket principle in space were expressed by Tsiolkovsky back in 1883, but a strict theory jet propulsion set out by him in 1896. Tsiolkovsky derived a formula (it was called the “Tsiolkovsky formula”), which established the relationship between:

· Rocket speed at any moment;

· Specific impulse of fuel;

The mass of the rocket at the initial and final moments of time

In 1903, he published the article “Exploration of World Spaces by Jet Instruments,” where he was the first to prove that a rocket was a device capable of space flight. In this article and its subsequent sequels (1911 and 1914), he developed some ideas about the theory of rockets and the use of liquid fuel. rocket engine.

The result of the first publication was not at all what Konstantin Eduardovich expected. Neither compatriots nor foreign scientists appreciated the research that science is proud of today. It was simply an era ahead of its time. In 1911, the second part of the work was published. Tsiolkovsky calculates the work to overcome the force of gravity, determines the speed required for the apparatus to reach solar system(“second escape velocity”) and flight time. This time the article caused a lot of noise in the scientific world. Tsiolkovsky made many friends in the world of science.

In 1926 - 1929, Tsiolkovsky solved a practical question: how much fuel should be taken into a rocket in order to obtain a liftoff speed and leave the Earth. It turned out that the final speed of the rocket depends on the speed of the gases flowing out of it and on how many times the weight of the fuel exceeds the weight of the empty rocket.

Tsiolkovsky put forward a number of ideas that found application in rocket science. They proposed: gas rudders (made of graphite) to control the flight of the rocket and change the trajectory of its center of mass; the use of fuel components to cool the outer shell of the spacecraft (during entry into the Earth’s atmosphere), the walls of the combustion chamber and the nozzle; pumping system for supplying fuel components; optimal descent trajectories of a spacecraft when returning from space, etc. In the field of rocket fuels, Tsiolkovsky researched large number various oxidizers and combustibles; recommended fuel vapors; liquid oxygen with hydrogen, oxygen with carbons. Konstantin Eduardovich worked a lot and fruitfully on creating the theory of flight of jet aircraft, invented his own gas turbine engine design; in 1927 he published the theory and diagram of a hovercraft train. He was the first to propose a “bottom-retractable chassis” chassis. Space flight and airship construction were the main problems to which he devoted his life.

Tsiolkovsky defended the idea of diversity of life forms in the Universe and was the first theorist and promoter of human exploration of outer space.

Tsiolkovsky as an opponent of Einstein's theory of relativity

Tsiolkovsky was skeptical about Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.

He denied the theory of an expanding Universe on the basis of spectroscopic observations (red shift) according to E. Hubble, considering this shift to be a consequence of other reasons. In particular, he explained the red shift by the slowing down of the speed of light in the cosmic environment, caused by “the obstacle from ordinary matter scattered everywhere in space,” and pointing out the dependence: “the faster the apparent movement, the further away the nebula (galaxy).”

Regarding the limit on the speed of light according to Einstein, Tsiolkovsky wrote in the same article:

“His second conclusion: the speed cannot exceed the speed of light, that is, 300 thousand kilometers per second. These are the same six days allegedly used to create the world.”

Tsiolkovsky also denied time dilation in the theory of relativity:

“Time dilation in ships flying at sublight speed compared to earthly time represents either a fantasy or one of the latest mistakes of a non-philosophical mind. ... Time slowdown! Understand what wild nonsense is contained in these words!”

Tsiolkovsky spoke with bitterness and indignation about “multi-story hypotheses”, the foundation of which contains nothing but purely mathematical exercises, although interesting, but representing nonsense.

He stated:

“Having successfully developed and not meeting adequate resistance, senseless theories have won a temporary victory, which they, however, celebrate with unusually magnificent solemnity!”

Tsiolkovsky's awards and perpetuation of his memory

Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd degree. For conscientious work, he was presented with an award in May 1906, issued in August.

Order of St. Anne, 3rd class. Awarded in May 1911 for conscientious work, at the request of the council of the Kaluga Diocesan Women's School.

For special services in the field of inventions of great importance for the economic power and defense of the USSR, Tsiolkovsky was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in 1932. The award is timed to coincide with the celebration of the scientist’s 75th birthday.

On the eve of the 100th anniversary of Tsiolkovsky's birth in 1954, the ANSSSR established a gold medal named after. K. E. Tsiolkovsky “3a outstanding works in the field of interplanetary communications.”

Monuments to the scientist were erected in Kaluga and Moscow; a memorial house-museum was created in Kaluga, a house-museum in Borovsk and a house-museum in Kirov (formerly Vyatka); The State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics and the Pedagogical Institute (now Kaluga State Pedagogical University), a school in Kaluga, and the Moscow Aviation Technology Institute bear his name.

The crater Lunar small planet 1590 Tsiolkovskaja is named after Tsiolkovsky.

In Moscow, St. Petersburg, Lipetsk, Tyumen, Kirovea and many others settlements there are streets named after him.

In Kaluga, since 1966, Scientific Readings in memory of K. E. Tsiolkovsky have been held.

In 1991, the Academy of Cosmonautics was established. K. E. Tsiolkovsky. On June 16, 1999, the Academy was given the name “Russian”.

In the year of the 150th anniversary of the birth of K. E. Tsiolkovsky, the cargo ship “Progress M-61” was given the name “Konstantin Tsiolkovsky”, and a portrait of the scientist was placed on the head fairing. The launch took place on August 2, 2007.

In February 2008 K. E. Tsiolkovsky was awarded the public award “Symbol of Science” medal, “for creating the source of all projects for human exploration of new spaces in Space.”

Conclusion

Tsiolkovsky is the founder of the theory of interplanetary communications. His research was the first to show the possibility of reaching cosmic speeds, proving the feasibility of interplanetary flights. He was the first to study the issue of a rocket - an artificial satellite of the Earth and expressed the idea of creating near-Earth stations as artificial settlements using solar energy and intermediate bases for interplanetary communications; examined medical and biological problems arising during long-term space flights.

Konstantin Eduardovich was the first ideologist and theorist of human exploration of outer space, the ultimate goal of which seemed to him in the form of a complete restructuring of the biochemical nature of thinking beings generated by the Earth. In this regard, he put forward projects new organization humanity, in which the ideas of social utopias of various historical eras are peculiarly intertwined.

Under Soviet rule, Tsiolkovsky's living and working conditions changed radically. Tsiolkovsky was assigned a personal pension and provided with the opportunity for fruitful activity. His works contributed significantly to the development of rocket and space technology in the USSR and other countries.

List of sources used

1. Arlazorov M.S. Tsiolkovsky. The life of wonderful people.-M., “Young Guard”, 1962-320 p.

2. Demin V.I. Tsiolkovsky. The life of wonderful people.-M., “Young Guard”, 2005-336 p.

3. Alekseeva V.I. Philosophy of immortality K.E. Tsiolkovsky: the origins of the system and the possibilities of analysis // Journal “Social Sciences and Modernity” No. 3, 2001.

4. Kazyutinsky V.V. Cosmic philosophy K.E. Tsiolkovsky: pros and cons. // “Earth and Universe” No. 4, 2003, p. 43 - 54.

Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, whose discoveries made a significant contribution to the development of science, and his biography is of interest not only from the point of view of his achievements, is a great scientist, a world-famous Soviet researcher, the founder of cosmonautics and a promoter of space. Known as the developer of a device capable of conquering outer space.

Who is he - Tsiolkovsky?

Brief is a shining example his dedication to his work and perseverance in achieving his goal, despite difficult life circumstances.

The future scientist was born on September 17, 1857, not far from Ryazan, in the village of Izhevskoye.
Father, Eduard Ignatievich, worked as a forester, and mother, Maria Ivanovna, who came from a family of small-scale peasants, ran a household. Three years after the birth of the future scientist, his family, due to difficulties encountered by his father at work, moved to Ryazan. Basic training Konstantin and his brothers were taught (reading, writing and basic arithmetic) by their mother.

Tsiolkovsky's early years

In 1868, the family moved to Vyatka, where Konstantin and his younger brother Ignatius became students at the men's gymnasium. Education was difficult, the main reason for this was deafness - a consequence of scarlet fever, which the boy suffered at the age of 9. In the same year, something happened in the Tsiolkovsky family big loss: Konstantin’s beloved older brother, Dmitry, died. And a year later, unexpectedly for everyone, my mother passed away. The family tragedy had a negative impact on Kostya’s studies, and his deafness began to progress sharply, increasingly isolating the young man from society. In 1873, Tsiolkovsky was expelled from the gymnasium. He never studied anywhere else, preferring to pursue his education independently, because books generously provided knowledge and never reproached him for anything. At this time, the guy became interested in scientific and technical creativity, even designed a lathe at home.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky: interesting facts

At the age of 16, Konstantin, with the light hand of his father, who believed in his son’s abilities, moved to Moscow, where he unsuccessfully tried to enter the Higher Technical School. Failure did not break the young man, and for three years he independently studied such sciences as astronomy, mechanics, chemistry, mathematics, communicating with others using a hearing aid.

The young man visited the Chertkovsky public library every day; it was there that he met Nikolai Fedorovich Fedorov, one of the founders of this outstanding man replaced the young man with all the teachers combined. Life in the capital turned out to be unaffordable for Tsiolkovsky, and he spent all his savings on books and instruments, so in 1876 he returned to Vyatka, where he began to earn money by tutoring and private lessons in physics and mathematics. Upon returning home, Tsiolkovsky’s vision deteriorated greatly due to hard work and difficult conditions, and he began to wear glasses.

Students came to Tsiolkovsky, who established himself as a highly qualified teacher, with great eagerness. When teaching lessons, the teacher used methods developed by himself, among which visual demonstration was key. For geometry lessons, Tsiolkovsky made models of polyhedra from paper; Konstantin Eduardovich taught them together with his students; he earned the reputation of a teacher who explained the material in an understandable way. accessible language: His classes were always interesting. In 1876, Ignatius, Constantine’s brother, died, which was a very big blow for the scientist.

Personal life of a scientist

In 1878, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky and his family changed their place of residence to Ryazan. There he successfully passed the exams to obtain a teacher's diploma and got a job at a school in the city of Borovsk. At the local district school, despite the significant distance from the main scientific centers, Tsiolkovsky actively conducted research in the field of aerodynamics. He created the foundations of the kinetic theory of gases, sending the available data to the Russian Physico-Chemical Society, to which he received an answer from Mendeleev that this discovery had been made a quarter of a century ago.

The young scientist was very shocked by this circumstance; his talent was taken into account in St. Petersburg. One of the main problems that occupied Tsiolkovsky’s thoughts was the theory of balloons. The scientist developed his own version of the design of this aircraft, characterized by a thin metal shell. Tsiolkovsky outlined his thoughts in his work of 1885-1886. "Theory and experience of the balloon."

In 1880, Tsiolkovsky married Varvara Evgrafovna Sokolova, the daughter of the owner of the room in which he lived for some time. Tsiolkovsky's children from this marriage: sons Ignatius, Ivan, Alexander and daughter Sophia. In January 1881, Konstantin's father died.

Brief biography Tsiolkovsky mentions such a terrible incident in his life as the fire of 1887, which destroyed everything: modules, drawings, acquired property. Only the sewing machine survived. This event was a heavy blow for Tsiolkovsky.

Life in Kaluga: a short biography of Tsiolkovsky

In 1892 he moved to Kaluga. There he also got a job as a teacher of geometry and arithmetic, while simultaneously studying astronautics and aeronautics, and built a tunnel in which he checked aircraft. It was in Kaluga that Tsiolkovsky wrote his main works on theory and medicine, while at the same time continuing to study the theory of the metal airship. With his own money, Tsiolkovsky created about a hundred different models of aircraft and tested them. Own funds Konstantin did not have enough money to conduct research, so he applied for financial assistance to the Physicochemical Society, which did not consider it necessary to financially support the scientist. Subsequent news of Tsiolkovsky's successful experiments nevertheless prompted the Physicochemical Society to allocate him 470 rubles, which the scientist spent on the invention of an improved wind tunnel.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky pays increasing attention to the study of space. The year 1895 was marked by the publication of Tsiolkovsky’s book “Dreams of Earth and Heaven,” and a year later he began work on a new book: “Exploration of outer space using jet engine", which focused on rocket engines, cargo transportation in space and fuel features.

The hard twentieth century

The beginning of the new, twentieth century was difficult for Konstantin: money was no longer allocated to continue important research for science, his son Ignatius committed suicide in 1902, five years later, when the river flooded, the scientist’s house was flooded, many exhibits, structures and unique calculations. It seemed that all the elements of nature were set against Tsiolkovsky. By the way, in 2001 Russian ship“Konstantin Tsiolkovsky” there was a strong fire that destroyed everything inside (as in 1887, when the scientist’s house burned down).

Last years of life

A short biography of Tsiolkovsky describes that the scientist’s life became a little easier with the advent of Soviet power. The Russian Society of Lovers of World Studies gave him a pension, which practically prevented him from starving to death. After all, the Socialist Academy did not accept the scientist into its ranks in 1919, thereby leaving him without a livelihood. In November 1919, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was arrested, taken to Lubyanka and released a few weeks later thanks to the petition of a certain high-ranking party member. In 1923, another son, Alexander, died, who decided to take his own life.

Remembered Konstantin Tsiolkovsky Soviet authorities in the same year, after the publication of G. Oberth - a German physicist - about space flight and rocket engines. During this period, the living conditions of the Soviet scientist changed dramatically. Management Soviet Union drew attention to all his achievements, provided comfortable conditions for fruitful work, and assigned a personal lifetime pension.

Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, whose discoveries made a huge contribution to the study of astronautics, died in his native Kaluga on September 19, 1935 from stomach cancer.

Achievements of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

The main achievements to which Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, the founder of astronautics, devoted his entire life are:

Creation of the country's first aerodynamic laboratory and wind tunnel.
Development of a methodology for studying the aerodynamic properties of aircraft.
More than four hundred works on the theory of rocketry.
Work on justifying the possibility of traveling into space.
Creating your own gas turbine engine circuit.
Presentation of a rigorous theory of jet propulsion and proof of the need to use rockets for space travel.
Design of a controlled balloon.
Creation of a model of an all-metal airship.
The idea of launching a rocket with an inclined guide, successfully used at the present time in multiple launch rocket systems.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky is a self-taught scientist who became the founder of modern cosmonautics. His desire for the stars was not hindered by poverty, deafness, or isolation from the domestic scientific community.

Childhood in Izhevsk

The scientist wrote about his birth: “A new citizen of the universe has appeared, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky”. This happened on September 17, 1857 in the village of Izhevskoye, Ryazan province. Tsiolkovsky grew up restless: he climbed the roofs of houses and trees, and jumped from great heights. His parents called him “bird” and “blessed.” The latter concerned an important character trait of the boy - daydreaming. Konstantin loved to dream out loud and “paid younger brother“so that he would listen to his “nonsense.”

In the winter of 1868, Tsiolkovsky fell ill with scarlet fever and, due to complications, became almost completely deaf. He found himself cut off from the world, constantly received ridicule, and considered his life “the biography of a cripple.”

After his illness, the boy became isolated and began to tinker: he drew drawings of cars with wings and even created a unit that moved using the power of steam. At this time, the family was already living in Vyatka. Konstantin tried to study at a regular school, but did not succeed: “I didn’t hear the teachers at all or heard only vague sounds”, but they did not make concessions for the “hard of hearing.” Three years later, Tsiolkovsky was expelled for poor academic performance. He no longer studied at any educational institution and remained self-taught.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Photo: tvkultura.ru

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in childhood. Photo: wikimedia.org

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Photo: cosmizm.ru

Study in Moscow

When Tsiolkovsky was 14, his father looked into his workshop. In it he discovered self-propelled carriages, windmills, a homemade astrolabe and many other amazing mechanisms. The father gave his son money and sent him to enroll in Moscow, at the Higher Technical School (now Bauman Moscow State Technical University). Konstantin reached Moscow, but did not enroll in college. Instead, he signed up for the city's only free library - Chertkovskaya - and delved into self-study Sci.

Tsiolkovsky's poverty in Moscow was monstrous. He did not work, received 10–15 rubles a month from his parents and could only eat black bread: “Every three days I went to the bakery and bought 9 kopecks there. bread Thus, I lived on 90 kopecks. per month", he recalled. With all the remaining money, the scientist bought “books, pipes, mercury, sulfuric acid", - and other materials for experiments. Tsiolkovsky walked around in rags. It happened that boys on the street teased him: “What is it, mice or something, that ate your trousers?”

In 1876, Tsiolkovsky’s father called him home. Returning to Kirov, Konstantin began giving private lessons. The deaf Tsiolkovsky turned out to be a brilliant teacher. He made polyhedra out of paper to explain geometry to his students, and in general often explained the subject through experiments. Tsiolkovsky gained fame as a talented eccentric teacher.

In 1878, the Tsiolkovskys returned to Ryazan. Konstantin rented a room and sat down again with books: he studied physical and mathematical sciences in the cycle of secondary and high school. A year later, he passed the exams as an external student at the First Gymnasium and went to teach arithmetic and geometry in the city of Borovsk in the Kaluga province.

Tsiolkovsky got married in Borovsk. “It was time to get married, and I married her without love, hoping that such a wife would not twist me around, would work and would not stop me from doing the same. This hope was fully justified", - this is how he wrote about his wife. She was Varvara Sokolova, the daughter of a priest, in whose house the scientist rented a room.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Photo: ruspekh.ru

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Photo: biography-life.ru

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Photo: tvc.ru

First steps in science

Tsiolkovsky devoted all his strength to science and spent almost all of his teacher’s salary of 27 rubles on scientific experiments. Your first scientific works He sent “The Theory of Gases”, “Mechanics of the Animal Organism” and “Duration of Radiation of the Sun” to the capital. Scientist light of that time (primarily Ivan Sechenov and Alexander Stoletov) treated the self-taught man kindly. He was even offered to join the Russian Physicochemical Society. Tsiolkovsky did not respond to the invitation: he had nothing to pay membership fees.

Tsiolkovsky's relations with the academic scientific community were not easy. In 1887, he refused an invitation to meet the famous mathematics professor Sofia Kovalevskaya. Then he spent a lot of time and effort to come to the kinetic theory of gases. Dmitry Mendeleev, having studied his work, answered in bewilderment: “The kinetic theory of gases was discovered 25 years ago”.

Tsiolkovsky was a real eccentric and a dreamer. “I was always up to something. There was a river nearby. I decided to make a sleigh with a wheel. Everyone sat and pumped the levers. The sleigh had to race across the ice... Then I replaced this structure with a special sailing chair. Peasants traveled along the river. The horses were frightened by the rushing sail, the visitors cursed in obscene voices. But due to my deafness, I didn’t realize it for a long time.”, he recalled.

Tsiolkovsky's main project at this time was an airship. The scientist decided to avoid the use of explosive oxygen, replacing it with hot air. And the tightening system he developed allowed the “ship” to maintain a constant lifting force at different flight altitudes. Tsiolkovsky asked scientists to donate 300 rubles to him for the construction of a large metal model of an airship, but no one provided him with financial assistance.

Tsiolkovsky's interest in flying above the earth faded - he became interested in the stars. In 1887, he wrote a short story “On the Moon,” where he described the sensations of a person who landed on the earth’s satellite. A significant part of the assumptions he made in his work subsequently turned out to be correct.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky at work. Photo: kp.ru

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky at work. Photo: wikimedia.org

Conquest of space

Since 1892, Tsiolkovsky worked as a physics teacher at the diocesan women's school. To cope with his illness, the scientist made a “special auditory trumpet”, which he pressed to his ear when the students answered him the subject.

In 1903, Tsiolkovsky finally switched to work related to space exploration. In the article “Exploration of world spaces using jet instruments,” he first substantiated that a rocket could become a device for successful space flights. The scientist also developed the concept of a liquid rocket engine. In particular, he determined the speed required for the vehicle to enter the solar system (“second cosmic speed”). Tsiolkovsky was involved in many practical issues space exploration, which later formed the basis for Soviet rocket science. He proposed options for rocket control, cooling systems, nozzle design and fuel supply system.

Since 1932, Tsiolkovsky was assigned a personal doctor - it was he who discovered the scientist’s incurable disease. But Tsiolkovsky continued to work. He said: to finish what we started, we need another 15 years. But he didn’t have that time. "Citizen of the Universe" died on September 19, 1935 at the age of 78.