Alexei Leonov

Alexei Leonov is famous for being the first person to walk in space. Leonov is a former jet pilot and was selected for cosmonaut training in 1960.
 

Biography

Born on May 20, 1934 in Listvyanka, Siberia. Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov became a cosmonaut after serving as an air force pilot.

On 18 March 1965, he was launched into orbit aboard Voskhod 2 along with fellow Russian Pavel Belyayev. He conducted the first ever space walk (extra-vehicular activity, or EVA). During the flight, Leonov spent over 20 minutes outside the capsule. This was longer than originally planned because excess pressure in his spacesuit meant that he had great difficulty re-entering the spacecraft's match.

Leonov made a second flight 10 years later, making history when his soyuz spacecraft docked worth an American Apollo Spacecraft, joining the two nations in space. He commanded the Soviet side of the Apollo-Soyuz mission, Soyuz 19, the first joint space mission between the Soviet Union and the United States. He and crewmate Valeriy Kubasovin docked Soyuz 19 to Apollo 18, the U.S. craft manned by Vance Brand, Deke Slayton, and Thomas P. Stafford. Leonov was named Hero of the Soviet Union upon his return.

From 1976 to 1982, Leonov was the commander of the cosmonaut team ("Chief Cosmonaut"), and deputy director of the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, where he oversaw crew training. He also edited the cosmonaut newsletter "Neptune". He retired in 1991.

He is also a founding member of the Association of Space Explorers and served as co-chairman, with John Fabian, of its 18th Congress, which took place in Japan in October, 2002. He is married with two daughters, and known for his skills as a painter.
 

Did you know?

* During the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk.

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