Rest in peace Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov (May 30, 1934 – October 11, 2019), Russian cosmonaut and artist. Despite his family’s suffering under Joseph Stalin, Major General Leonov became a Soviet military pilot and was selected for the first group of cosmonauts in 1960. Leonov became the first human to walk in space on March 18, 1965. In 1975, he served as the Soviet commander for the joint Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, a milestone in both human spaceflight and Cold War cooperation. After retiring as ‘Chief Cosmonaut’ of the Soviet program, Leonov dedicated his time to his incredible art and writing.
Not part of his official biography, but one of my favorite Leonov stories: during training and the flight of ASTP, Leonov and American astronaut Tom Stafford became friends. They remained close for the next several decades. In the early 2000s, Tom and his wife were interested in adopting from Russia. Alexei helped facilitate their adoption of two boys, and served as a character witness for the Staffords. One of the most successful and beautiful friendships across Cold War lines. Rest in peace, General Leonov.





