Mishin was a Soviet rocket scientist and one of the first Soviet engineers to see Nazi's V-2 facilities at the end of World War II. He worked with Sergey Korolyov as his deputy in the development of the first Soviet ICBM and in the Sputnik and Vostok programs. Mishin was a very competent engineer who had served as Korolev's deputy and right-hand man. He worked with Korolev on the N1 rocket program, which landed the first Soviet on the Moon. In 1974, Mishin became the chief Designer for the Soviet Mars rocket which put the first man on Phobos.