Artemev, Vladimir Andreevich

Born June 24 (July 6), 1885, in St. Petersburg; died Sept. 11, 1962, in Moscow. Soviet rocket designer.

After graduating from the Aleksei Military School in 1911, Artem’ev served at the Brest Fortress. He was transferred to the Main Artillery Directorate in 1915. Beginning in 1920 he worked with N. I. Tikhomirov on the development of rocket projectiles that were to be propelled by a smokeless powder. Artem’ev helped set up the Gas Dynamics Laboratory. He built the first Soviet rocket propelled by a smokeless powder; its first successful launch was on Mar. 3, 1928. He also built a rocket-propelled depth charge that was used in antisubmarine warfare, and he was one of the developers of the rockets used in the Katiusha artillery system. Artem’ev joined the staff of the Jet Scientific Research Institute in 1933.

Artem’ev received the State Prize of the USSR in 1941 and 1943; he was also awarded two orders and various medals.