Alexei Leonov, the First Man to Walk in Space

Alexei Leonov died yesterday at the age of 85. You may not be familiar with him, but he was a hero of the Soviet Union (literally, he was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union twice). Leonov was a cosmonaut who became the first person to perform a spacewalk, or EVA, when he left his Voskhod 2 spacecraft for 12 minutes in March of 1965. While such spacewalks were eventually performed routinely, the first one was touch-and-go.

Leonov’s body temperature spiked, and his spacesuit had inflated so much that he couldn’t control it. He attempted to deflate it, but the quick depressurization nearly gave him the bends. He needed to re-enter the spacecraft the wrong way.

The re-entry didn’t go so well either...

Leonov later participated in another first: the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, a collaboration between the Soviet and American space programs.  


Login to comment.




Email This Post to a Friend
"Alexei Leonov, the First Man to Walk in Space"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More