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ECLIPSE Yacht – Epic $600M Superyacht

The ECLIPSE yacht was once the largest yacht in the world at an impressive length of 162.5 metres (533 ft) but currently ranks in second place after AZZAM.

Though she is known as the billion-dollar yacht, it is estimated that her true value lies between US $500 – $700 million.

The vessel can host 36 guests and is even rumored to feature a state-of-the-art anti-paparazzi system to protect the privacy of those on board.

ECLIPSE yacht interior

The interior (and the exterior) was designed by Terence Disdale , who has become one of the top names in the industry despite having no formal design education.

ECLIPSE was his largest project to date, and he also worked on prominent vessels such as A+ and AL SALAMAH. The interior of ECLIPSE is classically designed in a style that is to be expected from one of the largest yachts in the world.

The upholstery and furniture follow a beige and crème color palette with wooden accents.

The yacht’s 18 cabins can welcome 36 guests as well as 70 crew members, which is an unusually large number even for a vessel of this size.

A large dance floor, several fireplaces, two swimming pools, and two helipads are also included onboard.

The ECLIPSE yacht interior is so large that there is even a cinema dedicated exclusively to crew members. In 2015 the interior of ECLIPSE was refitted by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg.

Specifications

The ECLIPSE yacht is the second-largest yacht in the world with a length of 162.5 meters (533 ft), a beam of 22 meters (72.2 ft), and a draft of 5.9 meters (19.4 ft).

She was built by the German shipyard Blohm & Voss and delivered to her owner in 2010.

Four MTU engines power ECLIPSE and allow her to reach top speeds of 25 knots, although her average cruising speed lies at 22 knots.

Her total volume lies at 13564 tons making her not only one of the longest but also the heaviest yachts in the world.

Like the interior of ECLIPSE, the interior was designed by Terence Disdale. According to rumors, Abramovich fitted her with an anti-paparazzi system that detects electronic light sensors from digital cameras.

However, there is no proof of this, although many newspapers report its existence.

On deck are several swimming pools and jacuzzis, and the aft of the vessel features a sizeable beach club. The yacht has a sleek design that attests to Terence Disdale’s classical style.

ECLIPSE came to fame as being the most expensive yacht ever built at the time for an approximate price of US $500 million.

She has seen further improvements since her purchase by Abramovich in 2010 and it is often widely reported that she is worth US $1.2 – $1.5 billion.

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Take a closer look at Russian oligarch's $700 million superyacht that is one of the largest in the world

• Roman Abramovich had seemingly scrambled to avoid sanctions from the UK by moving his superyachts.
• One of those is The Eclipse, which cost $700 million to build and was once the biggest in the world.
• That yacht was once in New York City and we took some photos.

Like other Russian oligarchs, Roman Abramovich had seemingly scrambled to avoid sanctions and that included quickly moving his superyachts to more friendly waters.

Many of the 55-year-old billionaire's assets — such as the Chelsea Football Club and several homes — have been sold or frozen since Russia launched an unprovoked war on Ukraine, Bloomberg reported . 

While Abramovich couldn't move the Premier League football club Chelsea FC and sold the $3 billion club , his yachts are another matter. 

Abramovich's 553-foot-long flagship is The Eclipse, estimated to have cost $700 million when built. After sanctions were initially dropped by the UK against Abramovich, his second "smaller" $600 million superyacht, Solaris, left Barcelona, Spain, and moved to friendlier waters in Turkey.

Solaris was joined in Turkey by The Eclipse, which arrived from the Caribbean .

While the superyacht Eclipse was photographed in Turkish waters in early August , it was once docked at Manhattan's Pier 90, and Robert Johnson was able to get some pictures. Take a tour of the superyacht below. 

Robert Johnson contributed to this post.

Just south of this public parking lot on the roof of the Pier 90 terminal in New York City sat Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's flagship yacht, the "Eclipse."

536-feet long and styled after military vessels.

The 2010 Eclipse cost $700 million and was the world's largest yacht when built.

The vessel has amenities to rival any ship on the sea — like its own mini submersible, perhaps similar to this— able to dive down 150-feet.

The Eclipse has two helipads.

Bulletproof glass and armor plates wrap the length of Roman's master suite and the bridge.

And a German-built missile defense system.

The ship's also supposed to have a laser defense against paparazzi trying to photograph the yacht's guests, but saw no evidence of the device when we were there.

The Eclipse has three launch boats.

That looked to be stocked with medical supplies and a variety of handheld radios.

From the cruise ship parking lot it felt like we were almost on the Eclipse itself.

But with little chance we'd be invited aboard through the ship's door here ...

... We hoped to find one of the 70 crew members required to sail the Eclipse and see if they'd tell us what ship life was like.

But we found no one interested in talking.

But we certainly didn't feel like paparazzi, or that we'd be lasered, when we were in the parking lot tourists use when they arrive to board their cruise.

From up here, the ship was simply stunning and the amount of work required to keep her that way apparent.

The Yacht Report says owning a superyacht costs about 20% of the ship's initial value every year.

But experts believe that Roman probably pays $75 million a year to run the private cruise ship with 24-guest suites.

Looking at the layout of the ship gets us talking about the two swimming pools inside, the disco, cinema, hair salon, and restaurant.

The billionaire's guests would use this door to enter any fore part of the deck.

Perhaps noting where the life rings were as they made their way about the ship.

At 13,000 gross tons, the Eclipse was, at the time, the largest vessel to use a special stabilization system to keep it calm in rough waters while anchored or moving slowly through the sea.

Roman faced a $150,000 tab for parking the Eclipse in New York City while possibly visiting his daughter and her new baby — about $2,000 a day.

A large yacht like the Eclipse can hold over 100,000 gallons of fuel.

Depending on the current price of fuel, a five-hour cruise each way could cost about $30,000.

None of those numbers are likely to concern Roman Abramovich, however, who has an estimated net worth of nearly $8 billion.

Source: Forbes

Here is some drone footage of the superyacht.

You can see interior photos of the luxury yacht at Boat International

Step on board the 162.5m Eclipse - the second largest superyacht in the world

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Eclipse Yacht: The World’s Most Expensive Private Yacht ($1.5 Billion)

Eclipse Yacht Facts

Yacht Name: Eclipse Yacht Length: 162 m (533 ft) Guests: 36 in 18 cabins Crew: up to 96 Displacement: 13,564t Builder: Blohm & Voss Year:- 2010 Yacht Cost: US$ 590 million Yacht Current Value: USD $1.5 Billion Yacht Owner: Roman Abramovich

Some of the most expensive boats in the world are yachts . Yachts are a sign of extreme wealth and luxury. And the $1.5 Billion Eclipse is the best of the best! It is the most expensive private yacht in the world and owned by the super glamorous Russian billionaire businessman – Roman Abramovich.

This article discusses the world’s most expensive private yacht, who owns it, the luxuries that it holds, and how it functions.

Following are some interesting facts about the world’s most expensive private yacht ‘Eclipse’

What it is and who owns it.

Eclipse which has the full name of M/Y Eclipse is a luxury motor yacht. A Russian businessman named Roman Abramovich owns it. He is the 11th richest person in Russia and the 140th richest person in the world. He is best known as the owner of the Chelsea Football Club. Chelsea FC is a premier league football club which is famous all over the world.

Abramovich has a net worth of 11.5 billion dollars. What is not known that popularly about him is that he is the owner of the world’s most luxurious and expensive private yacht.

Eclipse was delivered to Abramovich in December of 2010. It was built in Germany by a Hamburg-based company called Blohm-Voss. Eclipse is the world’s most expensive yacht with an estimated cost of 340 million euros or 590 million dollars.

About the Yacht Eclipse

The yacht is a total of 162.5 m in length and 22 m in width. It has a draft of 5.90 m. This makes it the second-largest yacht in the world. It provides a lot of space for leisurely activities, is suitable for almost all adventure and water sports, and is also capable of offering trips to several cultural and historical destinations all over the world. It has several features.

It is interesting to know that the yacht eclipse also has two helicopter pads on it. There are 24 guest cabins, several hot tubs, a disco hall, and even two swimming pools. It also contains a gym, a dance floor, underwater lights, a Beach club, a beauty salon, a Wi-Fi connection, a tender garage, and a deck jacuzzi. The swimming pools on the yacht can be converted into a dance floor. Even though the yacht has two helicopter pads, it can accommodate three helicopters as it has one storage hanger below the foredeck. There is also an exterior fireplace on board the yacht.

Eclipse is also a very technologically advanced boat. It has the latest technology features like motion sensors, anti-ballistic missile defense, and bulletproof glass.

As stated, before it has 24 guest cabins. Each of these cabins has a private 6 feet home cinema screen, a spa, a jacuzzi, and specialized security systems. It is believed that the boat also has an anti-paparazzi system. The system can detect the use of digital cameras for taking pictures of the boat. It is capable of disrupting a potential photograph of the yacht using infrared lights with the help of lasers.

The yacht is also equipped with three launch boats. It also has a mini-submarine which can submerge up to 50 m or 160 feet underwater. The yacht requires about 70 crew members for its proper operation and to serve the guests.

The yacht is also equipped with a missile detection system for security.

It has also employed a rotor-based stabilization system. It works against roll motion at anchor and low cruise speeds. It is based on the Magnus effect. Eclipse is the largest vessel in the world to have employed such a system.

The yacht is a Bermuda Flagged, Lloyd Register class yacht. It has a gross tonnage of 13,000 tonnes. The yacht offers the latest technology for propulsion and maximum speed performance. It also has an installed diesel-electric dual propulsion system with four MTU 20V 1163 TB93 marine diesel engines.

Also read: The Mysteries Of The Bermuda Triangle

The yacht can attain a maximum speed of 25 knots and a cruise speed of up to 22 knots. It also can carry 1 million liters of fuel in tanks and can travel up to 6000 nautical miles at the rate of about 21 knots before it needs to be refueled. The boat can also store nearly one fifty thousand liters of fresh water on board.

The submarine of the yacht can accommodate up to three people and can go as deep as 160 feet underwater, as previously stated.

The boat has a total living area of 6000 square feet. There are 11 staterooms and suites on it. It can accommodate up to 30 guests and a crew of 96 staff members. Out of the 6000 square feet of area, the master suite alone is spread over 5000 square feet. On the seventh level of the boat, there is a pilothouse.

Being a boat with so many features, one can only imagine what the cost of the maintenance of it would be. As one would expect, the maintenance of the Eclipse is costly.

According to a report, the yacht requires more than 60 million dollars for maintenance every year. The per-day rent of the boat is around 175,000 pounds.

History of the Eclipse Yacht

As mentioned before the yacht is owned by Roman Abramovich, a Russian businessman. Eclipse was delivered to Abramovich in December of 2010. It was built in Germany by a Hamburg-based company called Blohm-Voss.

The yacht arrived for sea trials at Frederikshavn in Denmark in September 2009. The first-ever pictures of the boat were taken on 9 December 2010.

Terence Disdale Design carried out the superstructure design of the yacht. The same company was responsible for the interior designing of the yacht, layouts of the deck as well as supervision during its construction.

This yacht was constructed in great secrecy. At the time of construction, it was known as Project Luxury Yacht M 147 for the same reason. The details of the technical designs and construction of the boat have still not been revealed to the public. The only thing that is accessible to the public is the design layout.

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Eclipse crowned the winner of the first World Cup of Superyachts

After a gruelling week of competition and over 47,000 votes cast, the 162 metre Blohm+Voss superyacht Eclipse has been crowned the winner of the inaugural World Cup of Superyachts.

The competition began with 16 of the greatest yachts drawn from a hat and the number was swiftly whittled down to a face-off in the grand final between Eclipse and Octopus - two of the most impressive yachts ever built.

• Step on board the 162.5m Eclipse - the second largest superyacht in the world

At 162 metres in length, Eclipse had size on her side as one of the largest yachts in the world (second only to Azzam who she knocked out in the semi-finals). With nine decks and the design talents of the legendary Terence Disdale touching every curve and corner, she is a truly remarkable vessel. But what Octopus may lack in size at a comparably modest 126 metres, she more than makes up for in her pandora's box of toys, from the two helicopters sitting side by side in the hangar to the 10-person Pagoo submarine (not to mention her globetrotting 12,500 nautical mile range.)

The competition was tough and the battle well fought, but it was Eclipse that came out on top after a week of voting across social media and boatinternational.com.

You can listen to the draw as it happened on our BOAT Briefing podcast .

Images by Klaus Jordan; Peter Seyfferth; A&B Photodesign; Guillaume Plisson; Berge Myrene; Tom Van Oossanen; Stef Bravin; Giovanni Romero; SuperYachtsMonaco; Feadship; Jeff Brown

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Designer Terry Disdale tells us about four and a half years of the world's third largest superyacht with a length of 162.5 meters and nine decks.

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A Closer Look at the $1.5 Billion Superyacht Eclipse

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride, but that does not mean we have to stop working towards getting the desires of our hearts. Everyone wants to the best because the spirit of competition was instilled in us in our childhood. By the age of four, you are frowning if your dress or shirt is not as good as your sibling's. It is not wrong to have high levels of self-esteem but sometimes wanting to be the greatest can have us being arrogant like the makers of Titanic who were so proud of their creation that they thought it would never sink only to have it become a disaster that claimed the lives of 1,500 people. Pride comes before a fall, and Roman Abramovich should have learned from this proverb if not from the story of the Titanic. Then again, do we ever learn? Roman went out of his way to have a yacht that would eclipse all other boats at sea; hence, he came up with "Eclipse," a 533-foot long yacht. He was able to get the desires of his heart since Eclipse was named the world's most expensive and largest yacht according to Marine Insight , but the achievement lasted for less than three years because Azzam took over the title in April 2013, with a length of 590 feet. Let's take a closer look at Roman's Eclipse and see if it is worth being valued at $1.5 billion.

The defense system

With money and fame comes enemies and Roman was not going to take chances with his life, so he installed a high-level security system on his yacht. News can make or break you, and we all know that the paparazzi always are putting their noses where they should not. Roman, therefore, ensured that they would never catch him with his pants down by installing an anti-paparazzi security system to protect him from their prying eyes. As The Guardian explains , the system is in the form of a laser beam that detects electronic light sensors from digital cameras; then it hits back at the camera with a bright light such that any pictures a person takes will be useless. The essence, therefore, is not to stop the cameramen from taking shots of the boat, but to frustrate their efforts by making all shots captured unusable. Of course, a relentless cameraman can still go out of his way to get the analog cameras that use film since they would not be detected by the lasers. With such a serious hitch it makes you wonder why someone with all the wealth in the world could not ensure that even such cameras do not get anywhere close to him, or maybe we can blame technology for that.

You can never be too careful, so if paparazzi are not bothering you, it could be that pirates are planning to kidnap you and have their payday or the people you have pissed off want you dead. Roman had that covered with bulletproof glass windows all round his master suite as well as an armor plate surrounding it and the bridge. If things get too hot to remain on the boat, the option of getting out into the sea and escaping is well catered for by a submarine that can carry two passengers. Alternatively, the two helicopter pads will make sure that a helicopter is ready to fly Roman to safety. Moreover, in this day, when someone will kill you remotely using a drone strike, Roman went steps further to ensure that no danger would find him unprepared. He, therefore, has a missile detection system on the boat that was installed by AST, a company with a close connection to the German defense ministry; goes to show the expertise of the firm.

Other features

Besides the extravagant and high-tech defense system, other things that Roman has on Eclipse are two swimming pools, a disco hall, 24 guest cabins, and a few hot tubs. Those who pay attention to their looks will find the beauty salon, spa, massage room, and gym very instrumental. The cabins are luxurious and are fitted with a 6-feet home cinema screen and specialized security systems.

How much does it cost to maintain it?

When you hear of a boat being referred to as a "$1.5 billion superyacht," you think that is the cost of constructing it. The figure was around $400 million, but then with time passage, the billionaire has to keep upgrading the boat and installing features he might find necessary. Therefore the amount has gone up considerably over the years . The cost of construction may be too high, but have you ever considered how much it costs Roman to maintain it? Imagine the dollars you part with every year to keep your car running, yet this is a large boat that has lots of crew members and staff. You complain of thousands of dollars that go into babysitting per year yet they are your children being looked after; Roman has to fork out 40 million Euros every year to maintain the 70 crewmembers aboard the Eclipse, according to The Sun.

Parking fees for your vehicle can put a dent in your pocket especially when they add up; parking charges for Disney World are around $25 per day, so if you plan on staying for five days in the resort hotel, you should be prepared to pay $125. If you think that is too much, think of Roman who cannot take his boat home and park it in a garage. He, therefore, has no choice but to pay dockage fees when the boat is not at sea, and it costs him around $2,000 per day, as reported by City Room .

With insurance covers, fuel, and repairs, you can be sure that the yearly cost goes up significantly. For instance, in 2017, when Eclipse stopped at Port Gruz to refuel and ordered 750 tons of fuel, the cost was around one million euros. In early 2015, Eclipse underwent a renovation, and by the end of the year, it was back at its builders for maintenance. Such expenses can only be catered for billionaires; as for the rest of us, let's keep competing on who has the trendiest clothes, handbags, and shoes and leave the superyachts to the likes of Roman Abramovich.

Written by  Dana Hanson

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Video: World’s Largest Charter Yacht ECLIPSE Filmed By Drone

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By Oliver Pearson   26 May 2016

Available for highly exclusive charter vacations, the 163m/533ft motor yacht ECLIPSE was filmed by an aerial drone as she was sat at anchor in the French Riviera earlier this month.

A famously private vessel, ECLIPSE has always been the preserve of a select few, with only a handful of images suggesting the kind of magic the British designer Terence Disdale has worked on her interior.

Built by the innovative German shipyard Blohm + Voss back in 2010, she was unsurprisingly named ‘Best Displacement Motor Yacht Of 3,000GT and Above’ as well as being the joint winner of the prestigious ‘Motor Yacht of the Year’ award at the World Superyacht Awards 2011.

With so much eminence and mystery surrounding her, it’s little wonder that she has generated an almost unprecedented curiosity amongst both industry players and charterers.

It was therefore to great excitement that the ‘French Riviera Water Toys’ company uploaded extensive drone footage of her as she joined the proceedings in Cannes earlier this month.

Indeed, the shrewd viewer will be able to discern the figures of both the 126m/414ft motor yacht OCTOPUS as well as the 84m/274ft superyacht SAVANNAH just a short distance away.

With so much to take in, the video of superyacht ECLIPSE is an all but inexhaustible resource

Offering a full panorama of motor yacht ECLIPSE as she dazzles in the Mediterranean sun, the footage begins by offering a profile of her starboard side before moving towards the fore and returning down her port side.

From here, the drone travels a little closer to the stern where the more eagle-eyed viewers will be able to catch a glimpse of her beach club.

In this way, not only are we treated to detailed views of her harmonious exterior lines, but also of her two helipads, tender garages, swim platform, and the various outdoor spaces spread across her various decks.

Obviously, with so much to take in, the video is an all but inexhaustible resource.

In order to find out more regarding ECLIPSE, and her availability, please speak with your preferred charter broker .

Alternatively, take a look at all Blohm + Voss yachts available for charter. Credit for the video: French Riviera Water Toys .

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163m Blohm + Voss 2010 / 2015

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I Watched the Total Solar Eclipse While Flying in a Jet. Here’s What It Was Like.

Jsx took 30 lucky spectators into the sky for a once-in-a-lifetime eclipse viewing experience., tori latham, tori latham's most recent stories.

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I’m 35,000 feet in the air, a cocktail in my right hand and the solar eclipse to my left.

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“It’s going to be an ordinary JSX flight except for the fact that we’re not going to go anywhere,” Alex Wilcox, the company’s CEO, tells us prior to the flight. “We’re gonna see physics in a way that’s so visceral . . . To have that moment where your mind opens up, expands, and you realize that there’s much more to the world than just what’s in your immediate face all day long.”

As we head northeast toward Missouri and Kentucky, Gregory explains to me and my fellow sun-gazers that what we’re about to see is the new moon positioning itself precisely between Earth and the sun. Texas was expected to get a whopping four minutes and 40 seconds of totality (the max possible is just seven and a half minutes), but the eclipse’s path would continue through the U.S. all the way to Maine and Canada. During that total eclipse of the sun, the sky darkens and the temperature can drop a full 20 degrees.

Even then, the excitement among the passengers was palpable, whether it was the students from a local STEM program or the older men with their pro-grade cameras. And that’s exactly why Wilcox and his team decided to host the experience.

“There’s not a lot that unifies us anymore, so one thing we can all get excited about no matter what your preferences or politics or anything else is, like, holy cow, we’re still creatures on this big globe, and there’s another globe up there,” Wilcox said. “If you can look out that window and not be mesmerized by the whole thing, I think that’s unusual.”

Given that the next total solar eclipse isn’t slated to happen for another 20 years or so in the United States—and not until 2317 in Dallas—JSX doesn’t have any immediate plans to replicate its path-of-totality flight. (“We’re good planners, but not that far ahead,” Wilcox said.) If you opt to travel for the next one, though, it’s worth realizing that you may not have a perfect view of totality—which is true whether you’re on the ground or thousands of feet up in the air. But that fact itself is pretty apt. The eclipse is a fleeting moment, one you’re lucky to get to experience even just once in your life, and a lot of factors have to align—quite literally—for it to all come together. Best to savor the moment, whatever little sliver of it you come across.

Tori Latham is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. She was previously a copy editor at The Atlantic, and has written for publications including The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter. When not…

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Going to miss the solar eclipse? Don’t worry, the next one is only years away

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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter . It’s Saturday, April 6 . Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

• The solar eclipse is Monday.
• In one of L.A.’s largest cash heists ever , burglars stole as much as $30 million from vault.
• 🌉 9 lovely walks to explore L.A.’s most beautiful bridges .
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper

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Avoid four simple mistakes to make the most of Monday’s solar eclipse

For 4 minutes and 28 seconds on Monday, day will become night for 31.5 million people. From Niagara Falls to Mazatlán, Mexico, along the “path of totality” a total solar eclipse will blot out the sun.

Temperatures drop suddenly. The sun’s corona, which is usually impossible to see creates a spectacular view.

California is not in the path of totality. Even if the chilly storms and rains headed our way clear, we will only get to see a partial eclipse. The sun and the moon won’t be perfectly aligned.

For Angelenos, the moon will visibly cover half of the sun. In San Francisco, only a third.

Maybe that sounds disappointing. But waiting five years until the next partial solar eclipse (or 20 until the next total one) would probably be worse.

So, get out there. Take a break. Enjoy the hopefully decent weather and bask in the partial darkness.

But be careful. Solar eclipses have rules.

Don’t miss the window

In Los Angeles the eclipse will begin at 10:06 a.m. By 10:39 a.m. the moon will take a substantial bite of the sun, peaking at 11:12 a.m. It will be over by 12:22 p.m, according to the Griffith Observatory.

NASA offers an eclipse explorer map .

There are many eclipse viewing parties around Los Angeles (between 10:00 a.m. and noon), where you can ask astrophysicists questions or look at the eclipse through solar telescopes.

Don’t forget your solar viewers or eclipse glasses

“It is very dangerous to look at the partially eclipsed sun directly with your own eyes,” Ed Krupp, the longtime director of the Griffith Observatory, told my colleague Rong-Gong Lin II . “You’re tempted to do it, but it will burn the retinas permanently and cause permanent blindness.”

Those in the zone of totality can remove their eclipse glasses and watch the total eclipse with a naked eye, NASA says. But only for the minute or two that totality lasts.

It’s also unsafe to look at the eclipse through a camera lens, binoculars, telescope or regular sunglasses. You need solar viewers or eclipse glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard .

The American Astronomical Society has a list of reputable suppliers of eclipse glasses, filters and viewers .

The Los Angeles Public Library will be distributing more than 20,000 eclipse glasses for free at the L.A. Maker Faire today at the L.A. State Historic Park in Chinatown.

Some Warby Parker locations ( here’s a list ) are also handing out free solar eclipse glasses.

Don’t bother trying to take a photo (but if you want to, here are some tips)

It’s quite challenging to get a “good” photo of an eclipse, especially of totality. The rapid change from daylight to twilight darkness requires technical adaptability .

But here’s your best bet: Use your eclipse glasses or a certified solar filter over the camera lens.

You can also use a black tape or a cloth to cut down on the light between the solar filter and the lens.

“We would not recommend pointing [your phone’s camera] directly at the sun for extended periods of time with no filter,” Google’s Pixel camera team told my colleague Ron .

You can equally enjoy the experience by putting your phone down , looking at how other people are reacting and noticing the changes in nature.

Speaking of nature...

Don’t forget that it’s still daytime (some animals will forget)

The Great American Eclipse of 2017 mystified tiny marine creatures known as zooplankton .

“One hour before the sky went dark, the confused little critters began swimming up the water column to start their nighttime feeding routine,” wrote my colleague Deborah Netburn. “As soon as totality was over” they “made their way back to the safety of deeper, darker waters,” realizing their mistake.

This time, researchers and scientists will observe how the solar eclipse will interfere with the routines of animals at Texas’ Fort Worth Zoo.

“It’s sort of adorable, this whole colony of tiny little creatures being like, ‘Oooh, nighttime!’ and then a few minutes later they’re like, ‘Oops,’” solar physicist Dan Seaton told Deborah in 2017. “It’s all part of the magic of eclipses.”

• How to avoid heartbreak if chasing ‘totality.’
• What you need to do to watch safely.
• 6 excellent L.A. spots to watch the awe-inspiring solar eclipse.

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More big stories

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• Trash outside L.A. home drew complaints, the producer of ‘Hoarders’ — and now Mayor Bass .
• L.A. tests program to send unarmed civilians instead of cops to people in crisis.
• A San Diego ‘miracle dog’ has been found months later in suburban Michigan.
• How long can Santa Anita Park survive ?
• Bronny James declared for NBA draft .
• To crack down on tee time brokers , L.A. golf courses will require $10 deposit.
• Rattlesnakes on Santa Catalina Island have learned that it pays to be unusually aggressive .
• Bruno Mars to open Inglewood’s Intuit Dome in August.
• ‘Game of Thrones’ actor sues LAPD and L.A. County over false pedophile case.
• Sean Combs’ son Christian accused of sexual assault on yacht Diddy chartered.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here .

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

Lost and found: Should California return Cambodia’s stolen art? Thousands of precious antiquities disappeared from Cambodia during decades of war and strife. Now the country is taking on California museums to get them back.

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How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected] .

For your weekend

• 🍽️ The best places to eat and drink in L.A. this month , according to our food writers.
• 👀 Your guide for what to see, shop and journey for in April.
• 📚 3 best mystery books to read this spring .
• 🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for creamy white beans in coconut broth .
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How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.

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Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Check our top stories , topics and the latest articles on latimes.com .

Defne Karabatur is the 2023-24 audience engagement fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She recently graduated from UC Berkeley, where she studied applied mathematics, English and political economy.

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Sergei Pavlovich Korolev – the Father of Practical Astronautics

Sergei Korolev (1907 – 1966), Soviet Union 1969 CPA 3731 stamp

On January 12, 1907, lead Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer during the Space Race Sergei Korolev was born. Korolev is regarded by many as the “father of practical astronautics “. He was involved in the development of the R-7 Rocket , Sputnik 1 ,[ 1 ] launching Laika , Belka and Strelka  and the first human being, Yuri Gagarin ,[ 2 ] into space.

“Today we are witnesses to the fulfillment of the dream that occupied some outstanding people, among them Tsiolkovsky. He had prophesied that mankind will not stay on Earth forever. Sputnik is the first confirmation of his predictions. The opening up of space has begun.” – Sergei Korolev, on the night of October 5, 1957, after the successful launch of Sputnik 1.[8]

Sergei Korolev – Youth and Education

Korolev was born in Zhytomyr , the capital of Volhynian Governorate of the Russian Empire. His parents, Russian teachers Maria Nikolaevna Balanina (née Moskalenko),  from a wealthy merchant family with Greek and Cossack roots, and Pavel Yakovlevich Korolev, who was  of Belarusian origin, separated just three years after his birth. Korolev grew up with his grandparents in Neshin . When he was ten years old, the family moved to Odessa . There he completed an apprenticeship as a bricklayer and roofer. Korolev showed an early interest in aviation and, in addition to his job, worked at the local glider club, constructing his first glider K-5 at the age of 17. In 1925, Korolev began studying at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute . When the Kiev faculty was closed, he transferred to Moscow Technical University (MWTU) in 1926 and graduated. Before that, he completed an internship at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (ZAGI), where he came into contact with the design of powered aircraft. In 1929, together with S. N. Lyushin, Korolev developed and built the Koktebel glider. In the same year, under the guidance of Andrei Tupolev, Korolev created his first powered aircraft SK-4 as his diploma thesis.

First Experiments with Rockets

In the 1930s, Korolev began building rockets as part of MosGIRD, a group founded in 1931 to research recoil propulsion systems. There he received essential impulses for his later work from Friedrich Zander . Together with Zander, whom he considered a mentor, he was involved in the design and construction of the first Soviet hybrid rockets GIRD-09 and GIRD-X , among others. In 1933, he moved to the Rocket Research Institute (RNII) and became head of the Rocket Missile Department in 1934. In the same year, his scientific treatise The Rocket Flight into the Stratosphere was published.

The Great Terror

While working on the RP-318-I rocket-powered glider, Korolyev was arrested by the NKVD’s secret political police during the Great Terror on June 27, 1938. After two days of torture and threats against his family, he signed a confession in which he was forced to identify himself as a member of a counterrevolutionary Trotskyist conspiracy and a participant in acts of sabotage to obstruct development work. He had been denounced under duress by Valentin Glushko ,[ 3 ] who had been arrested three months earlier and who himself spent the period until 1944 in prison. Although innocent, Korolev was sentenced without formal trial on to ten years of hard labor in the gulag and five years of loss of civil rights. After spending time in several prisons and prolonged transportation, he arrived at the notorious Maldyak labor camp in 1939, where he nearly starved to death and became so ill with scurvy that his lower jaw was severely damaged and he lost many teeth.

In the First Circle of Hell

Through interventions of his mother with the support of the well-known pilots Mikhail Gromov and Valentina Grisodubova, the USSR Supreme Court overturned the previous sentence and Korolev was recalled from Maldyak only in November 1939. After renewed interventions by his mother and Gromov with NKVD People’s Commissar Lavrenti Beria , he was sent to the special design office of aircraft designer Andrei Tupolev , who had already supervised Korolyov’s thesis and was also imprisoned. The ZKB-29 special camp for scientists and engineers was under the control of the NKVD and was described from personal experience by Alexander Solzhenitsyn in the novel The First Circle of Hell . The ZKB-29 developed the Tupolev Tu-2 dive bomber in Omsk in September 1942.

Petlyakov Pe-2, co-developed by Sergei Korolev

Korolev applied for a job at an aircraft engine plant in Kazan , where Glushko headed the OKB-16 special design bureau for rocket engines under Sharashka conditions. Korolev participated in the development of the Petlyakov Pe-2 multirole aircraft to improve takeoff performance and climb performance with a switchable rocket engine. In 1944, Korolyov and Glushko were paroled from prison early and continued their work on rocket developments as employed engineers of OKB-16. However, Korolev was not officially rehabilitated until April 18, 1957. Korolev’s six-year imprisonment in the Gulag was erased from Communist accounts of the history of technology.

Becoming Chief Designer

After World War II, Korolev rose to become the chief designer of the initially military-only Soviet missile program within the NII (Scientific Research Institute). Korolev’s identity was kept secret during his lifetime, and in public he was referred to only anonymously as the “chief designer.” Korolev’s goal was to develop a civilian rocket program. In 1945, now holding the rank of colonel in the Red Army, he was ordered to Soviet headquarters in Berlin with other engineers and technicians. He was given the task of studying the German rocket program and locating associates of rocket engineer Wernher von Braun who remained in Germany.

The first A4 rocket (from German stocks) is transported to the launch site on a truck trailer. It was launched on 18 October 1947 from the Kapustin Yar test site, Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, CC-BY-4.0

The Soviets placed a priority on reproducing lost documentation on the A4 rocket, and studying the various parts and captured manufacturing facilities. That work continued in East Germany until late 1946, when 2,000+ German scientists and engineers were sent to the USSR through Operation Osoaviakhim . Most of the German experts, Helmut Gröttrup being an exception, were engineers and technicians involved in wartime mass-production of A4, and they had not worked directly with Wernher von Braun. Korolev returned to the Soviet Union in 1946 with plans of German designs and German rocket designers. Among others, Wernher von Braun’s assistant Helmut Gröttrup and aerodynamicist Werner Albring worked on rocket technology development under Korolev’s direction in Kaliningrad (in Moscow oblast) and on Gorodomlya Island (now Solnetchny settlement) in Lake Seliger during this period. The first design resulting from this cooperation was the R-1 rocket of 1948, a copy of the German A4 based on materials available in the Soviet Union. Unlike the U.S., which brought German scientists to the U.S. with its Operation Overcast and ensured their naturalization and retention in the U.S. as early as 1946 with Operation Paperclip, the Soviet Union merely siphoned off their knowledge and used it in the crucial steps for spaceflight.

The Soviet Space Programme

Among Korolyov’s greatest achievements were the construction of the R-7 – the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile – and the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957,[ 1 ] but most importantly, the first space flight by a human, Yuri Gagarin , in 1961.[ 2 ] The R-7  was a two-stage rocket with a maximum payload of 5.4 tons, sufficient to carry the Soviets’ bulky  nuclear bomb  an impressive distance of 7,000 kilometres. However, despite the Soviet R-7 initial success, it experienced later failures as it was not intended to be a practical weapon. Sputnik 1 was designed and constructed in less than a month with Korolev personally managing the assembly at a hectic pace. The satellite was a simple polished metal sphere no bigger than a beach ball, containing batteries that powered a transmitter using 4 external communication antennas. Sputnik 1 was successfully completed and launched into space on 4 October 1957 using a rocket that had successfully launched only once before. After gaining approval from the government, a modified version of Korolev’s R-7 was used to launch Yuri Gagarin into orbit on 12 April 1961, which was before the United States was able to put Alan Shepard into space.

Variants of the R-7 Rocket, (NASA)

Korolev’s group was also working on ambitious programs for missions to Mars and Venus , putting a man in orbit, launching communication, spy and weather satellites, and making a soft-landing on the Moon.

Health Problems and Early Death

In December 1960, Korolev suffered a heart attack, which was followed by others. His cardiac arrhythmias were joined by internal bleeding and intestinal problems. Korolyev was admitted to a Moscow hospital. Doctors were going to remove painful hemorrhoids in a routine operation in January 1966, but in the meantime they discovered a large tumor in his colon and put him under general anesthesia. Tracheal intubation, necessary due to circulatory weakness, failed due to scurvy-related jaw abnormality as a late consequence of Gulag imprisonment; this caused his death on January 14, 1966. The Soviet government honored him by burying his urn in the Kremlin wall. In 1996, the city of Kaliningrad in Moscow Oblast, where he headed the experimental design bureau OKB-1 as chief designer from 1950, was renamed after him.

Losing the Race to the Moon

With Korolev’s death, the Soviet space and lunar programs suffered a bitter loss. Although work on the N1 lunar rocket was continued by his collaborator Vasily Mishin , it was discontinued in 1974 after several launch failures.[ 4 ] The identity of the chief designer remained a state secret in the Soviet Union during his lifetime. While in the U.S. his adversary Wernher von Braun made a high-profile appearance in the press and on television, Korolev was not known even in his own country. When, after the successful launch of Sputnik 1, the Nobel Prize Committee asked Nikita Khrushchev for the name of the chief designer, he replied that it had been the work of the entire Soviet people and that they had thus deserved the award. Only on the occasion of the state funeral in Moscow was this secret revealed.

References and Further Reading:

• [1]  The Sputnik Shock and the Start of the Space Race , SciHi Blog
• [2]  Yuri Gagarin – the first Man in Space , SciHi Blog
• [3]  Valentin Glushko and the Space Race , SciHi Blog
• [4]  The Russian Dream to Land a Man on the Moon , SciHi Blog
• [5]  “Sergei Korolev: Father of the Soviet Union’s success in space” .  www.esa.int .
• [6]  West, John B. (1 October 2001).  “Historical aspects of the early Soviet/ Russian crewed space program” .  Journal of Applied Physiology .  91  (4): 1501–1511.
• [7]    “Sputnik Biographies–Sergei P. Korolev (1906-1966)” .   history.nasa.gov .
• [8]  Joachim Kutzner, Kurt Kobler:  Der Sputnikschock.  4. April 2004
• [9]  The 2021 John J. Rhodes Lecture: Expanded Space Exploration , A Discussion with NASA Astronaut, Dr. Shannon Walker & Ambassador Barbara Barrett, Barrett Honors College @ youtube
• [10] Sergei Korolev at Wikidata
• [11] Timeline for Sergei Korolev , via Wikidata

Harald Sack

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Sergei Korolev: Architect of Soviet Space Program

Sergei Korolev is credited as being the founder of the Soviet Union's space program. During his tenure, the Soviet Union saw many space firsts. This included the first satellite, Sputnik (1957); the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin (1961); and Luna 9, the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the moon (1966).

While his name is well-known today, during his lifetime Korolev's identity was kept a secret (as were many activities of the Soviet space program.) This was in contrast to NASA and the United States, which publicly broadcast its successes and failures to the world.

Korolev was born on Jan. 12, 1907, in Zhytomyr, Ukraine — just a few years after the first airplane flights took place. Many astronauts and spacecraft engineers of the 1950s and 1960s were born around the turn of the century, when spaceflight was often considered an impossible dream.

Korolev didn't waste any time in pursuing his passion for aviation. At 17, he created his first glider,  according to the European Space Agency . He was educated at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute and the University of Moscow, where he began working on rocket propulsion (which was still a theoretical subject).

His work continued in 1931 when he created the Group for Investigation of Reactive Motion (GIRD), which created liquid-fueled rockets, ESA added. Liquid rockets have more flexibility than solid rockets because they can be turned on and off. Just two years after founding the group, the Soviet military took it over and renamed it RNII.

Then Korolev ran into bad times. The Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, began persecuting his opponents under a program known as the Great Purge. A colleague of Korolev was arrested in March 1938, ESA said. The colleague, Valentin Glushko, mentioned Korolev's name to try to reduce his own charges. This led to Korolev's arrest in June, and he spent two years in various Soviet jails.

Starting the space program

Stalin, however, was in need of aeronautical engineers as World War II began. Korolev and other people like him were allowed to work from jail,  according to NASA ; Korolev was identified by Sergei Tupolev (a famous aircraft designer who was jailed himself), who asked for Korolev's help on his projects.

While still a political prisoner, Korolev was sent to Germany to inspect what was left of the Nazi regime's missile operations (after the United States had taken most of the best elements). Once Korolev was freed from jail after the war's end in 1945, he was put in charge of designing a Soviet equivalent of the V2 rocket. The result was the first intercontinental ballistic missile, known as the R7. Korolev's other work was put into a design bureau, the first of many that worked on Korolev's technology once he had developed it, according to NASA.

While few people remember the R7 today, everyone in the space world knows of Sputnik 1, which launched on Oct. 4, 1957, aboard an R7. This was the first human-made satellite, and it took the world by surprise because the Soviet Union was still considered by some to be technologically inferior. 

The United States, which was already working on a satellite on its own for the International Geophysical Year, attempted to speed up its attempts to launch something into space. The first U.S. satellite, however, did not fly until January 1958.

The Space Race

Throughout the 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union competed in space, with the Soviet Union at first taking a strong lead in terms of racking up space firsts. Yuri Gagarin was the first human to fly in space on April 12, 1961, while the United States launched its first astronaut, Alan Shepard, in early May.

The Soviet Union also accomplished the first spacewalk (by Alexei Leonov). Under Korolev, the country also did surveillance of the moon with Lunas 1, 2 and 3. This was important because both the United States and the Soviet Union were thinking about landing humans there as an ultimate proclamation of who was superior in space.

While the United States worked on its famed Saturn V rocket that eventually hefted Apollo 11 and its crew into Earth orbit in 1969 — on the way to landing on the moon – Korolev's team worked on the N-1 launch vehicle starting in 1962. The heavy-lift rocket stayed in development for a decade, but never had a successful flight; its launch attempts included a huge explosion in 1969.

Korolev himself, however, did not live to see humans land on the moon. In 1965 he was diagnosed with cancer, and he died on Jan. 14, 1966, during surgery on his colon. Two weeks later, Luna 9 landed on the moon.

Additional resource

• ESA: Sergei Korolev: Father of the Soviet Union’s success in space

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Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, " Why Am I Taller ?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace

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