Victor Khrabrov

A sudden death has taken away from us Victor Khrabrov – a wonderful man, one of the longest-serving scientists at the Russian National Center «Kurchatov Institute,» doctor of technical sciences, professor of the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPHI), the inventor of the first electric propulsion engine used in space. He died in Moscow, in his apartment, on January 9th, 2009. The cause was heart failure.

Victor Khrabrov was born on 5/10/1931 in Samara, an old Russian city on the Volga river. He graduated from the MEPHI in 1955 and went to work at LIPAN as a senior laboratory assistant. In 1956 he became an engineer, in 1959 a research scientist, and in 1968 – a senior research scientist.

Professor Khrabrov began his scientific journey in plasma dynamics in BEP OEA, working on Z-pinch and plasma focus. Victor played the key role in creation -- research, development, and implementation -- of the first electric propulsion engines for spacecraft – so called impulse plasma engines of the erosive type (electric propulsion thrusters, EPTs).

Victor, as his then-lab chief A.M. Andrianov, was a naturally born physicist with deep engineering intuition. As a result of their searchm which took many years, the group invented a version of a plasma engine using very little electric energy per unit of thrust and providing jet thrust performing precisely to specification..

The set of six EPTs developed under the leadership and key participation of V. Khrabrov was successfully tested in space for the first time in history in 1964, on the spacecraft «Zond-2» en route to Venus, employed as orientation engines. After this success EPTs were often called «Khrabrov's engines» -- Victor had become a pioneer of the electric space engines. For these results V. Khrabrov was awarded the degree of a doctor of sciences immediately for a candidate's thesis – which was declassified just recently and contains a treasure trove of materials, including those presented in his keynote presentation at the history session of the XXX electric propulsion conference in Florence.

As a professor at MEPHI, he educated many undergraduate and graduate students, who then worked in science at the Kurchatov institute and other scientific organizations.

The last 20 years V. Khrabrov's work was related with the Tokamak T-15. He led the testing of its electric systems, and conducted research on the choice of the in-camera substances. In the last years of his life, he showed a great enthusiasm in collecting and publishing research materials on the history of space enginecraft, with a special focus on showcasing the priority of the Soviet Union/Russia and Soviet/Russian science in that area. He lived for the high goals: electric rockets, flying to the stars; thermonuclear fusion – a Sun on Earth!

V. Khrabrov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for Labor (1966), a memorial medal for the Lenin's 100th birthday (1970), a medal «Veteran of Industry» (1987), a medal «850 years of Moscow» (1997), and a medal «Veteran of the Atomic Energy and Industry» (1999).

Professor Khrabrov had many interests in history, literature and the arts – he worked with many historians and publishers, helped translate and publish an authoritative German book about the Soviet prisoners of war during WWII, all his life following the steps of his father, who was lost missing in action in 1941.

All his life, in all situations, V. Khrabrov kept undaunting optimism and a lively sense of humor. He loved people, and always worked to help colleagues and friends. He actively pursued research, teaching, and many hobbies till the last day of his life – his desk was full of working papers. He was very empathic, always devoted to friendship and scientific collaboration. He almost didn't pay attention to the material world – instead, he used to cite Antoine de Saint-Exupery: «The only luxury we have is the luxury of human communication.»

We lost a friend, a comrade, a bright and devoted enthusiast of science, a teacher, a man, of strong spirit. With deep gratitude we keep his image in our hearts.

The wake was kept on January 15 at the ritual hall of the Kurchatov Institute clinic.

Professor Khrabrov is survived by his wife of 48 years, Anna Khrabrova of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; sons Alexander, a research scientist at PPPL, Plainsboro, New Jersey, and Alexy, a research scientist at Thayer School, Dartmouth College, of Hanover, New Hampshire.