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N0KFQ > TODAY 23.04.17 14:19l 47 Lines 1725 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 30321_N0KFQ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Apr 23
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<IK6ZDE<VE2PKT<N0KFQ
Sent: 170423/1218Z 30321@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ6.0.13
1967
Soviet cosmonaut is killed
On this day in 1967, Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov is killed
when his parachute fails to deploy during his spacecraft's
landing.
Komarov was testing the spacecraft Soyuz I in the midst of the
space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Earlier in 1967, the U.S. space program had experienced its own
tragedy. Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chafee, NASA
astronauts in the Apollo program, were killed in a fire during
tests on the ground.
Komarov, a fighter pilot and aeronautical engineer, had made his
first space trip in 1964, three years before the doomed 1967
voyage. After 24 hours and 16 orbits of the earth, Komarov was
scheduled to reenter the atmosphere, but ran into difficulty
handling the vessel and was unable to fire the rocket brakes. It
took two more trips around the earth before the cosmonaut could
manage reentry.
When Soyuz I reached an altitude of 23,000 feet, a parachute was
supposed to deploy, bringing Komarov safely to earth. However,
the lines of the chute had gotten tangled during the craft's
reentry difficulties and there was no backup chute. Komarov
plunged to the ground and was killed.
There was vast public mourning of Komarov in Moscow and his ashes
were buried in the wall of the Kremlin. Sadly, Komarov's wife had
not been told of the Soyuz I launch until after Komarov was
already in orbit and did not get to say goodbye to her husband.
Despite the dangers, both the Soviet Union and the U.S. continued
their space exploration programs. The U.S. landed men on the moon
just two years later.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
Winlink: n0kfq@winlink.org
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