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LEGENDIn MemoriamROS
LEGENDIn MemoriamROSRoscosmos·🇷🇺 Russia·Born 1934
Alexei Leonov
First human to perform a spacewalk (March 18, 1965)
288h
Hours in Space
2
Missions
1
EVAs
0.2h
EVA Time
It was so quiet I could even hear my heart beat.
I was surrounded by stars and was floating without much control. I will never forget the moment.
Inspirations
Yuri GagarinSergei Korolev
What they aspire to
He hoped his Apollo-Soyuz handshake in orbit would symbolize lasting cooperation between former rivals.
Biography
First human to conduct a spacewalk. Nearly lost his life when his suit inflated in the vacuum of space.
Before NASASoviet Air Force fighter pilot selected in 1960 as one of the original twenty cosmonauts alongside Yuri Gagarin.
Records & Firsts
Notable accomplishments by Alexei Leonov
- First human to perform a spacewalk (March 18, 1965)
- First international handshake in space (Apollo-Soyuz, 1975)
Mission Timeline
- Co-pilot
Voskhod 3KD
Voskhod 2
Launch: Mar 18, 1965Landing: Mar 19, 1965Duration: 1 day- First spacewalk in history (12 minutes 9 seconds)
- Commander
Soyuz 19
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Launch: Jul 15, 1975Landing: Jul 21, 1975Duration: 6 days- First international docking in space
Beyond the Mission
Hobbies & Interests
paintingdrawingsketching
Causes They Champion
U.S.-Soviet space cooperationSpace art and education
Languages
Russian
Awards & Honors
- Hero of the Soviet Union (twice)
- Order of Lenin
- Order of the Red Star
Authored
- Two Sides of the Moon: Our Story of the Cold War Space Race(2004)
Fun fact
While outside Voskhod 2 he sketched an orbital sunrise — the first artwork ever created in outer space.
Learn More
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