Azerbaijan to install memorial plaque honouring space pioneer Kerim Kerimov UPDATED

The Azerbaijani government has ordered the installation of a memorial plaque in Baku to commemorate prominent scientist and military figure Lieutenant General Kerim Kerimov for his contributions to the development of space exploration.

Prime Minister Ali Asadov signed a relevant decree, under which the Ministry of Culture and the Baku City Executive Authority have been instructed to install a memorial plaque on the building where Kerim Kerimov lived, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

He lived at 16 Zargarpalan Street in the Azerbaijani capital.

Lieutenant General Kerim Kerimov (1917–2003) was an Azerbaijani-born Soviet engineer, scientist, and one of the principal architects of the Soviet space programme. Born in Baku, he graduated from the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute (now the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University) before embarking on a distinguished career in rocket engineering and aerospace.

Kerimov played a pivotal role in the development of the Soviet Union's missile and space technologies. Following the death of chief designer Sergei Korolev in 1966, Kerimov became chairman of the State Commission responsible for overseeing crewed space missions. For more than two decades, he supervised the launch and operation of numerous landmark missions, including the Soyuz programme and the Salyut and Mir space stations.

Although he was one of the most influential figures in the Soviet space programme, Kerimov's identity remained classified for many years due to the secrecy surrounding the country's space activities. His name became publicly known only after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov