Alexei Leonov: First Human Spacewalker
Alexei Leonov (30 May 1934 – 11 October 2019) was a Soviet and Russian cosmonaut, aviator, Air Force major general, writer, and artist. On 18 March 1965, he became the first person to conduct a spacewalk, exiting the Voskhod 2 capsule for 12 minutes and 9 seconds.
Early Life and Education
Leonov was born on 30 May 1934 in Listvyanka, West Siberian Krai, Russian SFSR, the eighth of nine surviving children born to Yevdokia Sotnikova and Arkhip, an electrician and miner. His grandfather had been forced to relocate to Siberia for his role in the 1905 Russian Revolution. In 1936, his father was arrested and declared an “enemy of the people” during Stalin’s purges. The family moved to Kemerovo with one of his married sisters, and his father later rejoined them after his release and compensation for wrongful imprisonment.
Leonov used art to help provide for the family, beginning by drawing flowers on ovens and later painting landscapes. In 1948, the family relocated to Kaliningrad after the Soviet government encouraged citizens to move to Soviet-occupied Prussia. He graduated from secondary school No. 21 in Kaliningrad in 1953 and applied to the Academy of Arts in Riga, Latvia, but declined due to high tuition costs. Instead, he joined a Ukrainian preparatory flying school in Kremenchug, making his first solo flight in May 1955. While studying art part-time in Riga, he completed an advanced two-year fighter pilot course at the Chuguev Higher Air Force Pilots School in the Ukrainian SSR.
On 30 October 1957, Leonov graduated with honours and was commissioned a lieutenant in the 113th Parachute Aviation Regiment, part of the 10th Engineering Aviation Division of the 69th Air Army in Kyiv. On 13 December 1959, he married Svetlana Pavlovna Dozenko and was assigned to the 294th Reconnaissance Regiment of the 24th Air Army in East Germany.
Career and Achievements
Leonov was selected as one of 20 Soviet Air Forces pilots for the first cosmonaut training group in 1960. His historic spacewalk on 18 March 1965 during the Voskhod 2 mission lasted 12 minutes and 9 seconds, with a 4.8-metre tether connecting him to the craft. At the end of the spacewalk, his spacesuit had inflated in the vacuum of space, preventing him from re-entering the airlock. He opened a valve to bleed off pressure and barely managed to return inside the capsule. During the mission, Leonov sketched an orbital sunrise—the first work of art created in outer space. He had spent eighteen months undergoing weightlessness training for the mission.
In 1968, Leonov was selected to command a circumlunar Soyuz 7K-L1 flight, but this was cancelled due to delays in achieving reliable circumlunar flight and because Apollo 8 had already accomplished that objective. He was also selected to be the first Soviet person to land on the Moon aboard the LOK/N1 spacecraft, a project that was subsequently cancelled. Leonov was scheduled to command the 1971 Soyuz 11 mission to Salyut 1, the first crewed space station, but his crew was replaced with the backup after cosmonaut Valery Kubasov was suspected of having contracted tuberculosis.
Leonov’s second spaceflight came as commander of Soyuz 19 during the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, the first joint space mission between the Soviet Union and the United States. The mission docked in space for two days with an American Apollo capsule. During this project, Leonov became lasting friends with US commander Thomas P. Stafford, becoming godfather to Stafford’s younger children. From 1976 to 1982, Leonov served as commander of the cosmonaut team and deputy director of the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, overseeing crew training and editing the cosmonaut newsletter Neptune. He retired in 1992.
Notable Events and Milestones
Leonov’s spacewalk on 18 March 1965 marked a defining moment in space exploration history. His selection for the first Soviet lunar landing mission, though the project was cancelled, reflected the confidence placed in his abilities and experience with extravehicular activity. The Apollo-Soyuz mission in July 1975 represented a significant geopolitical achievement, symbolizing cooperation between the superpowers during the Cold War. His tenure as Chief Cosmonaut from 1976 to 1982 positioned him as a key figure in training subsequent generations of Soviet space explorers.
Awards and Honors
Leonov was named Hero of the Soviet Union twice, in 1965 and 1975. He was promoted to Major General of Aviation in 1975 and became a laureate of the USSR State Prize in 1981. From 2002 to 2019, he served as a member of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party.
Additional Resources
Leonov was an accomplished artist whose published works include albums of his artistic creations and collaborations with his friend Andrei Sokolov. He took coloured pencils and paper into space on later missions, continuing his artistic practice. More detailed information about Leonov’s life, missions, and artistic legacy is available through Wikipedia and other biographical archives documenting Soviet and Russian space exploration.
Observer Voice is the one stop site for National, International news, Sports, Editor’s Choice, Art/culture contents, Quotes and much more. We also cover historical contents. Historical contents includes World History, Indian History, and what happened today. The website also covers Entertainment across the India and World.
