Question by Lavender: Soviet cosmonauts perished in space?
Is this true? Was it during the cold war?
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Answer by Robert D
Yes, unfortunately.
1971 June 30 – The crew of Soyuz 11, Georgi Dobrovolski, Viktor Patsayev and Vladislav Volkov, suffocated after undocking from space station Salyut 1. A valve on their spacecraft had accidentally opened when the service module separated, letting their air leak out into space.
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Earl D says
Yea, it was during re-entry. They didn't have suits on and a seal broke on the capsule.
campbelp2002 says
During an early Soyuz flight the cabin lost pressure. After that they redesigned the Soyuz to improve safety, but the added equipment took up the space for the 3rd seat, so it went from being a 3 man vehicle to a 2 man vehicle. Another redesign in 1980 allows them to fly it today with 3 people, but it sure looks cramped! But stories that a cosmonaut died earlier than that and the government covered it up are just so many conspiracy theories, like the ones that claim the Moon landings were fake.
tham153 says
Yes, there were two instances. In the first, the Soyuz re-entry vehicle tumbled. The cosmonaut aboard was unable to get out because the parachute lines wrapped around the capsule, blocking the door, and it simply crashed to Earth. Only one was aboard as this was one of the earliest test flights of a Soyuz.
In the second, three cosmonauts died when the air was released from their Soyuz upon undocking from a Salyut spacestation.
Wikipedia has a full article on both these accidents.
Ralfcoder says
I remember reading that the soviets lost a crew or two, but I think it was during the re-entry/landing phase. I think everything was OK during the orbital phase, and they had communication when they started the landing. But when they opened the capsule, the cosmonauts were dead. Google "Dead cosmonauts", and you'll find a raft of data.