Germany, Democratic Republic (DDR) #794a (1965) – Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov visit to Germany

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Germany, Democratic Republic (DDR) #794a (1965) – Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov visit to Germany

Strip of 3: #792-794

Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov visit to Germany (1965)

Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev (1925–1970) was a Soviet cosmonaut and a key figure in the early years of human spaceflight. He was born on June 26, 1925, in Chelishchevo, Russian SFSR, and became a pilot and an astronaut in the Soviet space program.

Belyayev’s most notable mission was the historic Voskhod 2 mission in 1965, during which he became the first person to perform a spacewalk (extravehicular activity or EVA). The mission took place on March 18-19, 1965, and the Voskhod 2 spacecraft carried Belyayev and Alexei Leonov into orbit.

The spacewalk conducted by Alexei Leonov, where he exited the spacecraft and floated in space for about 12 minutes, was a significant achievement. However, the mission faced several challenges, including issues with the spacecraft’s re-entry system. Belyayev skillfully navigated the spacecraft through the difficulties and safely returned to Earth.

Pavel Belyayev’s contributions to space exploration were significant, and his role in the success of the Voskhod 2 mission demonstrated his skill and composure under challenging conditions. Unfortunately, Belyayev’s spaceflight career was tragically cut short. He died in a car crash on January 10, 1970, at the age of 44. Despite his relatively short career, Pavel Belyayev made lasting contributions to the early Soviet space program and the history of human spaceflight.