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Alexei Leonov pushed out of Voskhod 2’s inflatable airlock, becoming the first h
Featured Event 1965 Event

March 18

Leonov Steps into Space: First Human Spacewalk

Alexei Leonov pushed out of Voskhod 2’s inflatable airlock, becoming the first human to walk in space. His forty-five-minute excursion proved humanity could survive outside a pressurized vessel, yet the mission nearly ended in disaster as his suit ballooned and jammed the hatch upon re-entry. This narrow escape forced engineers to redesign all future EVA suits with pressure relief valves, fundamentally altering how astronauts explore the void.

March 18, 1965

61 years ago

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