Claim: Pavel Popovich, was the fourth cosmonaut in space, was selected as one of the first group of twenty air force pilots that would train as the first cosmonauts for the Soviet space program and was considered as a strong candidate for the first spaceflight.
Evidence: He was the fourth cosmonaut in space, the sixth person in orbit, and the eighth person in space. In 1960, he was selected as one of the first group of twenty air force pilots that would train as the first cosmonauts for the Soviet space program. He was considered as a strong candidate for the first spaceflight – but while Yuri Gagarin was ultimately chosen for the Vostok 1 flight, Popovich served as the flight's capcom.