The message to Konstantin Feoktistov's widow reads, in part:
"Konstantin Feoktistov was a patriot and a citizen. He fought valiantly in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and made an invaluable contribution to space exploration and technological progress.
"Memory of Hero of the Soviet Union Konstantin Feoktistov, an astronaut and designer, will always dwell with his family, friends and colleagues."