Nikolai I. Tikhomirov
From The Space Library
Nikolai I. Tikhomirov, a chemical engineer, was the founder and director of the Gas Dynamics Laboratory (GDL). he was the first Soviet rocket specialist to work on the development of missiles propelled by smokeless powder.
He had first tackled the problem of powder propelled missiles in 1894. In 1916 his work, submitted in 1912, was approved by a commission of experts headed by N.Y. Zhukovsky.
Work to reorganize a research laboratory started on March 1 1921. The Military department furnished Tikhomirov with the necessary means to set up his laboratory and assigned a two-story building in Moscow to house its workshops equipped with 15 machine tools. Work to make an extruded smokeless powder propellant with a solid solvent and trial launchings were conducted in Leningrad.
