The First Spacewalk (near-disaster)

BBC ^ | Oct 13, 2014 | Paul Rincon

[Izzy Dunne]

Minutes after he stepped into space, Leonov realised his suit had inflated like a balloon, preventing him from getting back inside.

Later on, the cosmonauts narrowly avoided being obliterated in a huge fireball when oxygen levels soared inside the craft.

And on the way back to Earth, the crew was exposed to enormous G-forces, landing hundreds of kilometres off target in a remote corner of Siberia populated by wolves and bears.

Afterwards, the Soviet authorities revealed nothing about the problems. For years, few people knew the truth.

[Izzy Dunne]

The Soviets' obsession with presenting a pretty picture to the outside world covered up the near-disasters for 50 years.

[Crazieman]

Russian “Safety” :)

[nuke rocketeer]

Truly no worse than NASA safety these days.........

[IncPen]

The Soviets' Obama's obsession with presenting a pretty picture to the outside world covered up the near- disasters for 50 years.

Tomorrow's headlines, today.

[deoetdoctrinae]

If we send this FReepathon to green,
we can all kick back and take a breather.

Click the Pic

Support Free Republic

[chimera]

Of all the Russian space explorers, Leonov has to rank foremost for courage and tenacity. He took on a job that no one had ever done, with dangers and uncertainties not faced before. He figured out a way to save himself (and probably his commander as well) using an incredibly dangerous procedure (venting pressure in a high vacuum is unbelievably risky). Their equipment was quite primitive as we know today. A man worthy of respect, even if viewed as a rival.

[catnipman]

There’s a reason they call it Russian roulette.

[IncPen]

During a mission debrief, Leonov had to explain why he had broken protocol by venting his air into space without telling ground control.

He responded: “What would you have done if I’d told you? You would have created a commission. The commission would have selected a chairman, and the chairman would talk to me.

Funny how that rings true today...

[Crazieman]

No... not familiar at all.

[Quality_Not_Quantity]

The Soviets' obsession with presenting a pretty picture to the outside world covered up the near-disasters for 50 years.

Not trying to hijack the thread here, but the lies of the Obama administration are recalled with the reading of this article.

[George from New England]

Can’t wait to see the movie!

[Jack Hydrazine]

U.S. intercepted final words of doomed Russian cosmonaut Komarov as he ‘screamed in rage at people who put him in defective craft’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367857/US-intercepted-Russian-cosmonaut-Vladimir-Komarovs-final-words-rage.html

[BitWielder1]

The Soviet Commies covered up ALL bad news for 70 years, the only exceptions were when they couldn't.

[goldstategop]

It doesn’t take anything away from Alexi Leonov’s momentous achievement.

With all the odds against him, he proved men could survive in space. And that paved the way for the landing on the moon.

His feat is as historically significant as Yuri Gargarin’s and he is rightly regarded as a national hero in Russia.

[kinsman redeemer]

Very Good Article!!
Thanks for posting.

[diogenes ghost]

"Russian 'Safety':)"

Yup, those uncaring bastards killed 4 Cosmonauts.

But those 14 (or 17) brave Astronaut deaths were simply due to 'Acts of God'.

[Crazieman]

Apollo: Stupid engineering
Challenger: Stupid oversight
Columbia: Environmentalism

[Yossarian]

U.S. intercepted final words of doomed Russian cosmonaut Komarov as he ‘screamed in rage at people who put him in defective craft’

Kind of like an angry version of this?

[GeronL]

Be seeing you around Ivan

[98ZJ USMC]

The Soviets' obsession with presenting a pretty picture to the outside world covered up the near-disasters for 50 years.

Why does this seem so.....familiar. So recent?

Hmmmm...