Video File - Russian Space Pioneer Alexei Leonov

Alexei Leonov was a Soviet cosmonaut and the first person to conduct a spacewalk, also known as an extravehicular activity (EVA), on March 18, 1965. He was born on May 30, 1934, in Listvyanka, Siberia, and passed away on October 11, 2019.

Leonov's historic spacewalk occurred during the Voskhod 2 mission, when he exited the spacecraft for about 12 minutes, connected to it by a 5.35-meter-long tether. This pioneering feat marked a significant milestone in the history of human space exploration, showcasing the possibility of humans performing tasks outside their spacecraft.

In addition to his EVA achievement, Alexei Leonov was also selected for the Soyuz 19 mission, where he and American astronaut Thomas Stafford conducted the first-ever joint spaceflight between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1975, known as the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

Alexei Leonov's contributions to space exploration and his role as a pioneer in opening up the realm of spacewalks have left a lasting impact on the history of human spaceflight.