In March 2015, a very important date in the history of Russia was celebrated: 50 years ago, Leonov's spacewalk was performed. The release date is known to every schoolchild: on March 18, 1965, the valiant pilot-hero of the Soviet Union Alexei Leonov became the first person to find himself in an open airless space. Leonov's spacewalk was very short-lived. But it was still a real feat.
Aleksey Leonov: spacewalk. When did this happen and how was it?
The whole space exercise took about twenty minutes. Leonov still recalls with a breath those first sweet moments when he realized how quiet and calm it is in outer space. The first thing he talked about in his most recent interviews after the event was silence. The astronaut was even able to hear his own breathing and heartbeat. Alexei Leonov's spacewalk was the number one event in the Russian and foreign press, a huge leap forward for all mankind in the development of astronautics.
Leonov's spacewalk was carried out on board the Voskhod-2 experimental ship. Hewas significantly different from Gagarin's "Voskhod-1": it already had a couple of seats for pilots, besides, it was equipped with a Volga camera, which was inflated during space flight.
The crew of the ship consisted of only two people. The commander of the apparatus also often flashed in the press at that time. It was Pavel Belyaev, and Alexei Leonov was appointed the pilot. Especially for this mission, the Berkut spacesuit was made. It is he who will let the astronaut down at the most inopportune moment.
Leonov's spacewalk is a very well-known date: the launch was made from Baikonur at ten in the morning Moscow time. It was a very risky business, the cosmonauts had to go into space already on the second orbit of the flight. Just at this time, the sands of the Sahara were spread under the apparatus. Already at half past eleven in the morning, Leonov visited open space.
Difficulties in flight
Leonov was very tightly connected with the aircraft, everything was calculated to the smallest detail, the length of the cable was five meters. Five times the astronaut approached and moved away from the spacecraft during his stay in the vacuum. The danger began to be felt almost from the first minute: the spacesuit swelled from the strong pressure. When the time came to return, Leonov had to violate two points of strict instructions from Earth. Due to his size, he reduced the pressure inside the suit and entered the ship head first instead of feet.
But the terrible misadventures, unfortunately, did not end there. Due to the differencetemperatures, a rather large crevice formed right in the hatch lining, which could lead to depressurization of the ship and the death of astronauts. The automatic systems of Voskhod-2 at the same time worked to increase the supply of oxygen mass, so everything could end in an explosion. The problems were overcome only after seven hours, only then the pilots could feel safe.
And before leaving, the legendary cosmonaut almost forgot to fasten the safety rope. Belyaev accidentally noticed this and barely managed to save his partner. If not for this fact, Leonov's body would still be in orbit around the planet.
1965, when Leonov's spacewalk took place, was a very significant year for the USSR, so the cosmonauts had no right to make a mistake.
Landing
Voskhod-2 made a full nineteen orbits around the Earth before it landed on the planet's solid surface. Just imagine: the calculations did not correlate with reality, so the landing did not happen at all where it was originally planned. Two hundred kilometers from the city of Perm, in a cold and inhospitable deserted taiga, far from civilization, the pilots landed. For two whole days the cosmonauts were waiting for rescue, later they were sent to Perm, and from there by plane again to Baikonur.
Working on bugs
Leonov very often recalls his flight even now: in many interviews he said that there were a lot of mistakes, that they could have been avoided and that in many ways only a happy coincidence helped him andhis comrade to survive.
Just imagine: the suit was practically not tested, since it was almost impossible to create proper test conditions on Earth, its development was based only on calculations. But this was not enough, so the suit was the first to let it down.
The flight altitude turned out to be significantly higher than originally planned. A few more tens of meters higher - and the astronauts would have received strong radioactive exposure. The reason for this fact could not be identified even after the flight.
Inexpressible sensations
When the legendary cosmonaut was already in his spacesuit and everything was ready for an important event, which was supposed to be Leonov's spacewalk, permission was still not given. Leonov languished in anticipation until he heard a voice from Earth. It was Gagarin himself who spoke with Leonov, he gave permission, and Alexei Arkhipovich rushed to the hatch.
And then there was silence and the sound of breathing and heartbeat, which were transmitted as a signal to Earth. It would seem that the flight should have excited Leonov, but this serene silence only soothed, his breathing was even.
The first spacewalk did not last long, but imprinted in the memory of the astronaut forever. When Leonov went into outer space, the release date was published in all the world's newspapers. Therefore, this flight was remembered by literally all of his contemporaries.
Everything in the sky was surprising: and the fact that the Earth is really a ball, even though Leonov knew this, he was still amazed at what he saw; and the fact that the stars in the sky are simply unmeasured; and that they allso bright, and space is completely black, well, just impenetrable. And the Sun, as if built into the sky, exuded great heat and very bright light.
Spacesuit
Now try to imagine how hard it was to work and be in a spacesuit. To just clench a fist in outer space, one had to exert an effort equal to lifting twenty-five kilograms on Earth. And that's with one hand! Leonov's earthly training, aimed at ensuring that he would be able to cope with the task in the future, was extremely difficult. He had to lift a barbell of ninety kilograms daily. Less was impossible - then he would not have coped with the task. And this is in addition to other grueling daily workouts.
Leonov's experience showed that it is possible for a person to stay in outer space, besides, all the shortcomings and mistakes were taken into account for further flights. And the suit of Alexei Arkhipovich was taken as the basis for future developments. So many modern cosmonauts work based on the experience that Leonov once received.
Leonov's experience is invaluable…
Memories of Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, who made several such flights, and also spent a total of one hour in space, are filled with gratitude to Leonov and the experience he gained. Now space suits are designed in such a way that the pilot can spend several hours in a vacuum. To be exact, about seven hours. There is a detailed briefing that everyone goes through before flying.modern astronauts. For the first hour, they need to look at the Earth as little as possible, as this view is very mesmerizing and distracting. It is in the first hour that it is better to do the main part of the work calmly, and then you can already admire the view. And all these instructions are based on the experience of Alexei Leonov.
Leonov's first spacewalk was a matter of national importance. His space suit bore the proud name Berkut, and in order for the cosmonaut to train, a full-size model of the entire spacecraft was installed on board a real Soviet aircraft.
Leonov made a spacewalk for the first time. And few people know that he could die because of one more oversight - already his own. It is very scary to imagine, but due to the long wait for the order, Leonov absent-mindedly almost forgot to fasten the insurance to his spacesuit. His partner and part-time commander barely managed to grab the pilot by the leg and fasten it. If this had not happened, Leonov would have died.
Besides, when he entered the ship, having completed his main task, his feet hit the cylinders necessary for life support. Everything could really end badly. So many mistakes, but none led to dire consequences. Oh, and the crew got lucky!
Working in space is a risky business
Some time after Leonov's feat, American pilots, who had also been in orbit and in open space, were able to repeat his flight. But Leonov wasthe first, and no matter how hard the Americans tried, they had to observe the Soviet pioneer pilot from the Earth in the development of airless space.
Working in space only seems romantic and beautiful, in fact it is a constant danger and a colossal expenditure of energy. All spacecraft pilots unanimously talk about this. And that's why they don't take everyone who wants it as astronauts. He alth for this work must be excellent.
And it also requires constant concentration and concentration: you will be distracted for just a second - and that's it … Anything can happen. For example, such a force majeure, as when Leonov made a spacewalk: the pressure increased sharply, the spacesuit inflated. That is why there are now very strict and clear briefings for space pilots, where recommendations are given on how to behave in a variety of situations.
Colleagues
The story of another cosmonaut, S. K. Krikalev, the successor of Leonov's work, is also interesting. This man is the absolute world record holder for the number of hours spent in earth orbit. His seniority is eight hundred and three days.
In many interviews, he talked about the fact that once his partner's cooling system in a spacesuit failed. And now cosmonauts always go out and work with at least two people. He had to, having spent a lot of time to save his comrade, to complete the entire task on his own, also in a short time.
And one more time his partner's spacesuit glass was completely misted up, he couldn't see anything at all. But such situations are completelyare still being worked out at terrestrial spaceports, so the colleagues coped with the work masterfully at that time, everything ended well. But Leonov went into orbit all alone, without a safety net. It is still amazing to this day to realize how hard it was for this man.
Workouts
To prepare for those emotions and physical sensations that a person experiences when entering outer space is almost impossible on Earth. Leonov's first spacewalk was a responsible matter. Training was essential. They last the whole day for future astronauts and are carried out on special simulators that create conditions similar to those in space. There are, for example, hydro trainers that can create weightlessness. And there are those that completely imitate the atmosphere of the spacecraft and living conditions in it. The loads are huge. Qualified doctors closely monitor the pilots' he alth, as well as their diet and daily routine.
Of course, pilots never rest for a minute in flight. In addition to repair work, astronauts are constantly engaged in research activities. Therefore, an astronaut is not only a physically strong and he althy person, but also a qualified specialist in various fields of science.
It was space expeditions that made it possible to prove that life in space is possible. Bacteria survive perfectly well outside the ship, as do mosquito larvae, which were placed in a vacuum for a long time on one of the space stations. Astronauts often take fish eggs, plants, and insect larvae with them on a flight tolook at what will happen to them in space. Astronauts conduct a huge number of experiments during each flight, the results of which scientists eagerly await on Earth.
And many of the space pilots say that space has its own smell. It's hard to feel it, but it's there. It is most similar to the rarefied air after a thunderstorm, filled with freshness. And this is the opinion of many. Probably, Leonov felt it too.
Earth
The pressure difference caused the legendary Soviet cosmonaut to almost die. When Leonov went into outer space, he understood that it would be very problematic to climb back into the hatch. And the air supply was depleted, the decision was simply necessary this very second. Leonov's spacewalk was accompanied by many mistakes, but still ended successfully, as we already know.
Now Alexey Arkhipovich can already tell the whole truth about the flight. The earth did not greet him so kindly. Miscalculations, many mistakes during the flight led to an unplanned, unexpected landing site.
The most interesting thing is that at that time, probably in order to maintain the prestige of the party and Soviet scientists, all the media said that the flight was successful, and the cosmonauts were resting and gaining strength for new achievements near Perm in the country. To this day, Leonov does not have a dacha there, and, of course, they did not even see any dacha there. Not in the country, but in the taiga, in a forest littered with snow, next to manyboth pilots were dangerous animals. They were found only two days later, they had to walk nine kilometers on skis on their own. If it were not for the grueling training before the flight, then it is not a fact that they would have succeeded. After they were transported to Perm, and then to Baikonur, so that the astronauts continued to train.
There are very few people who will not spare their lives and strength for the good and prestige of their state. When Leonov went into outer space, this date was remembered by very many. And the citizens of our country remember this heroic deed to this day.
