The Comedy of Errors That Was the First-Ever Space Walk
8 hours ago
- #spacewalk
- #Alexei Leonov
- #space history
- NASA astronauts conducted a spacewalk on the ISS to prepare for a power upgrade, a routine activity now.
- 61 years ago, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov performed the first spacewalk, facing life-threatening challenges when his suit swelled, making re-entry difficult.
- Leonov had to manually depressurize his suit to fit into the airlock, risking decompression sickness, and entered head-first, struggling in a cramped space.
- After re-entering, the automatic re-entry system failed, forcing Leonov and Commander Pavel Belyayev to manually fire retro rockets for a safe atmospheric entry.
- They landed in the Siberian wilderness, spent a freezing night in the descent module, and were rescued the next day by a recovery team on skis.
- Despite the ordeal, Leonov reflected on the profound experience of space, emphasizing the awe and greatness felt during his time outside the spacecraft.