As long as humans have been on earth, people have had an innate desire to travel to the

unknown regions and explore.

From early man during the ice age 12,000 years ago crossing the frozen tundra into new lands

that were once inaccessible, Bwaynton Mariners sailing off to the horizon in search of treasure

and new wonders.

With those intrepid dreamers who stared up at the stars and wondered, what if?

There have always been those who stared off into the distance, and wanted to learn what

was just over that next horizon.

Sergei Korolev was one of those dreamers.

He was born in the Ukraine in 1907.

Just a few years after the Wright brothers achieved the first manned airplane flight.

By age 17 Korolev built his own glider.

From there he went on to be educated at the Kiev Polytechnic University and the University

of Moscow, where he began working on early rocket propulsion and would eventually over

time become known as the father of the Soviet space program.

But Korolev's path to such an esteemed position wasn't easy.

If you study enough history you'll come to realize there are certain irrefutable facts.

One of these facts is that you really didn't want to get on Joseph Stalin's bad side.

After Vladimir Lenin head of the Bolshevik Party died in 1924.

Stalin quickly rose to power, declaring himself supreme dictator in 1929.

But as Stalin consolidated his power he came to believe that anyone with ties to the Bolsheviks

or Lenin's government was a threat that needed to go.

...