Konstantin Feoktistov, born February 7, 1926 in the former Soviet Union, made one trip into space aboard Voskhod 1 in October 1964. He was an engineer working on an ion-propelled spacecraft that could carry people to Mars, when he was selected for cosmonaut training in 1964 and put into space later that same year.
Voskhod 1 was the first multi-passenger mission with a crew of three. It was the first time cosmonauts did not wear spacesuits, because they wanted to keep ahead of the Americans by putting more people into space at once.
Feoktistov's fellow cosmonauts were Vladimir Komarov and Boris Yegorov. Feoktistov ceased training for future missions due to medical reasons.
Boris Borisovich Yegorov, born November 26, 1937 in Moscow, flew on Voskhod 1, his only spaceflight. He earned a doctorate in medicine, specializing in disorders of the sense of balance. When he was chosen to fly aboard Voskhod 1, he became the first physician in space. His fellow cosmonauts were Vladimir Komarov and Konstantin Feoktistov.
Soyuz 1, launched April 23, 1967, carried cosmonaut Colonel Vldaimir Komarov. He became the first in-flight fatality in any space program. Komarov knew the Soyuz 1 capsule had many flaws but decided to fly it anyway, because if he refused, his best friend Yuri Gagarin would be assigned to it.
Komarov was killed when the capsule became tangled in its parachutes and he plummeted several miles to Earth. His last words were cursing the men who built the Soyuz capsule.
Cosmonaut Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov, born March 16, 1927 in the Soviet Union, and astronaut R. Walt Cunningham, born March 16, 1932, are both heroes but whose stories end completely different.
Komarov, close friends with Yuri Gagarin, flew his first mission on Voskhod 1 in October 1964 with crew members Boris Yegorov and Konstantin Feoktistov. The flight lasted just over twenty four hours and its success awarded Komarov the Order of Lenin and Hero of the Soviet Union.
He was assigned to the Soyuz program to fly on Soyuz 1 April 1967. Long before the launch, Komarov knew there were major problems with the space capsule and feared that he would be killed if he flew in it. He wanted to refuse the mission, but his backup was Gagarin and Komarov did not want his friend to die.
Soyuz 1 launched April 23 and experienced problems shortly after launch. Upon re-entry, the parachutes did not deploy correctly and got tangled with the spacecraft. Komarov fell several miles to Earth. His last words were of him cursing the men who put him in a botched spacecraft.
Ronnie Walter Cunningham flew on Apollo 7, October 11, 1968 with Wally Schirra (who celebrated his birthday just a couple of days ago) and Donn Eisle. During the mission, Schirra developed a head cold and without the benefit of gravity, could not clear his sinuses. When the crew prepared for re-entry, they refused to wear their helmets. Schirra feared if he blew his nose, he might suffer a pierced ear drum.
As a result of this "mutiny" none of the Apollo 7 astronauts were assigned to future missions.
October 12, 1964, the Soviets, in an all-out panic because the U.S. was about to launch their Gemini program, rushed three men into space. Aboard the Voskhod 1 were Commander Vladimir Komarov, Engineer Konstantin Feoktistov and Medical Doctor Boris Yegorov. It was the first space flight with more than one crewman and the first without space suits!
The trio was chosen mainly for political reasons and were given only 3 to 4 months of training. The space capsule could hold two cosmonauts in space suits or three without. Guess which one the Soviets opted for? In order to stay ahead of the Americans, three cosmonauts were crammed into spacecraft sans space suits. They also had to diet so they could all fit.
Despite the circus of getting Voskhod 1 off the launch pad, the missions was a success, lasting just over 1 day.
