Legendary cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first human to walk in space — an experience that almost killed him — and later the commander of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that docked with a NASA Apollo capsule, symbolizing a historic thaw in the Cold War, has died after a long illness, the Russian space agency confirmed Friday. He was 85.
An accomplished amateur artist and a widely respected statesman in the international space community, Leonov remained a lifelong friend of his Apollo-Soyuz Test Project crewmates and a source of inspiration to a younger generation of cosmonauts who carried his photo to the International Space Station and marked his 85th birthday during a spacewalk in May.
“Leonov was certainly a cosmonaut’s cosmonaut, he was stout of mind, body and heart,” James Oberg, an expert on the Russian space program, said in an interview with CBS Radio. “He came through as a real tough guy who could handle problems, including almost being killed on his first spacewalk. But he also was a very decent human being.”
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#4492525 - 10/11/1910:09 PMRe: Alexei Leonov, World’s First Spacewalker, was 85
[Re: F4UDash4]
Another great man passed on. His politics or country of birth / residence don't matter. He had "the right stuff "
Archie Smythe
carpe diem
#4492530 - 10/11/1910:41 PMRe: Alexei Leonov, World’s First Spacewalker, was 85
[Re: F4UDash4]
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,346PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
King Crimson - SimHQ's Top Poster
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 121,346
Miami, FL USA
RIP
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4492612 - 10/12/1912:49 PMRe: Alexei Leonov, World’s First Spacewalker, was 85
[Re: F4UDash4]
Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,581goon
Apex avoidance specialist
I've read of the history of space flight since I was a boy, and it's obvious 'legendary' is a fitting description.
I'll also post a piece of music about his EVA by one of my favourite bands.
Gareth
UNDERSTEER - is when you hit the wall with the front wing. OVERSTEER - is when you hit the wall with the back wing. HORSEPOWER - is how fast you hit the wall. TORQUE - is how far you can take the wall with you.
"In the vast library of socialist books, there’s not a single volume on how to create wealth, only how to take and “redistribute” it.” - David Horowitz
#4493598 - 10/19/1912:43 PMRe: Alexei Leonov, World’s First Spacewalker, was 85
[Re: kaa]
In all my years I've never seen the like. It has to be more than a hundred sea miles and he brings us up on his tail. That's seamanship, Mr. Pullings. My God, that's seamanship!