Leonov's Spacewalk

The words

1. Backpack

   Leonov’s backpack supplied oxygen for breathing and cooling. Gas leaving the suit carried away heat, moisture, and exhaled carbon dioxide.

   p. 1 · NASA EVA chronology: equipment and reports (opens a new tab)

2. Belyayev

   Pavel Belyayev commanded Voskhod 2 while Leonov worked outside. When the automatic return system failed, he manually oriented the spacecraft for its descent to Earth.

   Siddiqi: the crew and forest rescue (opens a new tab)

3. Caspian Sea

   The Caspian Sea marked the eastern extent of the view Leonov reported from space. His recollection paired it with Gibraltar to the west.

   p. 1 · NASA EVA chronology: equipment and reports (opens a new tab)

4. Gibraltar

   The Straits of Gibraltar were the western landmark in Leonov’s reported panorama. He described seeing from there to the Caspian Sea during his spacewalk.

   p. 1 · NASA EVA chronology: equipment and reports (opens a new tab)

5. Heatstroke

   NASA’s EVA chronology reports that Leonov nearly suffered heatstroke. Historian Anatoly Zak later highlighted Leonov’s postflight report, which described fatigue but denied major overheating.

   NASA EVA chronology: equipment and reports (opens a new tab) · Zak: Leonov’s immediate postflight report (opens a new tab)

6. Leonov

   Alexei Leonov became the first person to walk in space on March 18, 1965. He left Voskhod 2 wearing a pressure suit.

   Did you know?

   Before his flight, Leonov edited a satirical cosmonaut newsletter called Neptun, meaning Neptune. Painting was another of his interests.

   ESA: Leonov and Voskhod 2 (opens a new tab) · Siddiqi: the crew and forest rescue (opens a new tab)

7. Spacesuit

   Leonov later recalled a stiff, expanded suit that made reentry difficult. His immediate postflight report, discussed by historian Anatoly Zak, described a less dramatic return.

   ESA: Leonov and Voskhod 2 (opens a new tab) · Zak: Leonov’s immediate postflight report (opens a new tab)

8. Spacewalk

   Work outside a spacecraft, also called extravehicular activity or EVA.

   Leonov’s excursion outside Voskhod 2 began the history of spacewalking. Later missions used this kind of work to maintain, repair, and assemble spacecraft and space stations.

   NASA: the beginning of spacewalking (opens a new tab)

9. Taiga

   Cold northern forest, largely made up of conifers.

   The crew landed in dense, snowy forest where helicopters could not set down beside the capsule. Rescuers reached them on skis before their evacuation.

   Siddiqi: the crew and forest rescue (opens a new tab) · NatureWorks: the northern forest (opens a new tab)

10. Tether

    A safety tether kept Leonov connected to Voskhod 2 while he floated outside. It allowed him to move away from the spacecraft without becoming separated.

    Zak: Leonov’s immediate postflight report (opens a new tab)

11. Urals

    Voskhod 2 landed far from its intended recovery area, near Perm. The crew spent two nights in the forest before they were flown out.

    Siddiqi: the crew and forest rescue (opens a new tab)

12. Valve

    Leonov used a valve to reduce suit pressure during his return to the airlock. Zak’s account of his postflight report says this contingency had been considered before launch.

    ESA: Leonov and Voskhod 2 (opens a new tab) · Zak: Leonov’s immediate postflight report (opens a new tab)

13. Volga Airlock

    The inflatable Volga chamber let Leonov leave Voskhod 2 while the main cabin stayed pressurized. Its air-cooled equipment could not tolerate an emptied cabin.

    Did you know?

    Volga was designed, built, and tested in nine months, with work beginning in mid-1964 ahead of the March 1965 flight.

    p. 1 · NASA EVA chronology: equipment and reports (opens a new tab)

14. Voskhod Two

    Voskhod 2 carried Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov in March 1965. Their mission combined the first spacewalk with a return that ended in a remote forest.

    ESA: Leonov and Voskhod 2 (opens a new tab)

15. Wolves

    Leonov’s memoir describes wolves and bears as inhabitants of the forest. His recollection conveys the crew’s concern about wildlife while awaiting rescue.

    Leonov’s memoir: the forest wait (opens a new tab)