On This Day in Space History

A CHRONICLE OF SPACEFLIGHT

THE SPACE RACE · THE SHUTTLE ERA · ROBOTIC EXPLORATION · 1957–PRESENT

Welcome to On This Day A daily chronicle of humanity in space — the launches, landings, spacewalks, and firsts that mark the space age. Start here. Read the welcome →
March 18
Voskhod
Mission
Voskhod
Series
Soviet space program
Venue
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakh SSR
Date
March 18, 1965
Agency
Soviet space program
Nickname
Alexei Leonov performs the first spacewalk
Crew
Alexei Leonov
Pavel Belyayev

Alexei Leonov performs the first spacewalk

During the Voskhod 2 mission, cosmonaut Alexei Leonov left his capsule for about 12 minutes to become the first person to conduct an extravehicular activity. His spacesuit ballooned in the vacuum, forcing him to bleed off pressure to re-enter the airlock in a dramatic close call.

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