In a stable and peaceful life, it is difficult for people to imagine the state of mind when facing the approaching death, and it is even more difficult to guess what words they will utter in that final moment. After all, the vast majority of people do not need to experience such an extreme situation. However, there are always some special professionals in the world whose experiences go beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Astronauts are one of them. Today, the story we are going to tell unfolds around the mystery at the end of an astronaut's life.
The Fall of Soyuz 1: The Prelude to Tragedy
At 6:24 in the morning on April 24, 1967, over the plains near Orenburg, Soviet Union, an object fell rapidly like a meteor. Judging from its appearance, it was a spaceship. But what is distressing is that it is so close to the ground, yet there is no sign of a parachute opening at all. So, the spaceship, like an out-of-control cannonball, crashed directly into the ground. In an instant, a huge explosion erupted, and the fire instantly engulfed everything. This is the manned spaceship code-named "Soyuz 1", carrying Soviet astronaut Vladimir Komarov. He thus became the first victim in the history of human manned spaceflight.
The Story in Textbooks: False Sentiment
In the fifth volume of junior high school Chinese textbooks published by the People's Education Press in 2001, there is an article "Two Tragic Hours", which describes in detail the scene when Komarov was killed. The plot in the article is very touching. After Komarov discovered the parachute failure, he reported to the ground. It is said that in the last two hours of his life, there was a live broadcast to the whole world. Countless audiences, including his family, witnessed this heartbreaking moment.
In this so-called live broadcast, there are many deeply moving words. Komarov, with tears in his eyes, thanked the glorious title conferred by the Supreme Soviet. He was proud of being an astronaut and had no regrets in devoting himself to the aerospace cause. The article also depicts the affectionate interaction between him and his family. His mother 强忍 tears and told her son that she was fine. After his wife took the microphone, tears streamed down like rain. His daughter resolutely said that she wanted to be an astronaut like her father and remembered her father's reminder about taking learning seriously and paying attention to decimal points and punctuation marks, because this tragedy stemmed from negligence in ground inspection. Komarov finally excitedly expressed his love for the people and science to the whole world. He described the beauty of the earth and even hoped to be an astronaut again after reincarnation. However, unfortunately, except for the fact that Komarov was killed, all other plots are fictional.
This article is said to be from the second issue of "Reader" in 1995. The author is Feng Fengming from the Shandong Youth Cultural Center. There are even more exaggerated contents in the article, such as a young man rushing into the command platform and snatching the microphone to pour out his feelings to Komarov. Leaving aside the absurdity of this plot, just looking at the historical background at that time, the United States and the Soviet Union were in the "space race" period. Komarov's mission was a preparation task for the Soviet manned lunar landing and was top secret. There was simply no possibility of a two-hour live broadcast to the outside world. The writer Ye Yonglie was also deeply puzzled by the selection of this article into textbooks.
The Version in "Starman": The Complex Truth
In the book "Starman: The Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin" (co-authored by Jamie Doran and Piers Bizony), another version of this incident is presented. The sources of information for this version include the memories and conversations of KGB agent Venyamin Rosayev (who was once responsible for taking care of Komarov), and the report of journalist Yaroslav Golovanov in "Pravda". Although this book mainly focuses on Gagarin, it also involves Komarov.
In 1967, in the space competition with the United States, the Soviet Union planned to launch the "Soyuz 1" spacecraft and launch another spacecraft the next day. The two will dock in space, and the astronaut of "Soyuz 1" will transfer to the second spacecraft and return to Earth. If successful, this will be the world's first astronaut space transfer. The Soviet Union planned to use this technology in the lunar landing flight. At that time, the Soviet supreme leader Brezhnev hoped to present a gift to the 50th anniversary of the victory of the "October Revolution". Komarov was selected to carry out the mission of "Soyuz 1", and Gagarin was the substitute.
According to "Starman", when Gagarin and senior technicians inspected "Soyuz 1", they found 203 structural problems. These problems will make the spacecraft face serious danger in space. Gagarin suggested postponing the mission and wrote a 10-page memorandum, but this memorandum and suggestion were not reported to Brezhnev. Although there is no public information mentioning this memorandum, judging from common sense, if the problem is really fatal, there is no reason for others not to report it. After all, the consequence of a launch failure is more serious than postponement. Moreover, Komarov is an excellent astronaut, and the Soviet Union will not easily sacrifice him.
Less than a month before the launch, Rosayev recalled that Komarov once said in tears that he could not come back alive. When asked why he did not refuse the mission, Komarov said that if he refused, the substitute Gagarin would take his place. Gagarin also showed his determination to risk for his friend. He even appeared at the scene on the day of the launch and asked to wear a spacesuit. However, this behavior is questioned because according to the regulations at that time and Gagarin's identity, he should not have such an action in an unassigned mission. But these narrations can at least illustrate two points: first, there were many problems with "Soyuz 1" before the launch; second, Komarov finally boarded the spacecraft.
The Crisis-Ridden Flight: Struggle and Helplessness
In the early morning of April 23, 1967, "Soyuz 1" was successfully launched into space, and the last 24 hours of Komarov's life began. After entering the predetermined orbit, the spacecraft had successive failures. The left solar panel could not be opened, resulting in the spacecraft relying only on half of its power to maintain instrument operation; the unopened panel blocked the radiator, and the heat could not be dissipated. The attitude control system failed, and the spacecraft began to slowly flip; only the backup equipment of the communication system was available; when entering the fifth orbit, the ion sensor failed, and manual control was also useless. From the seventh to the thirteenth orbit around the earth, the exhausted Komarov rested and lost contact with the ground. These failures are obviously not explained by a simple "decimal point error". In such a major space mission, this kind of low-level mistake is almost impossible.
At this time, the ground authorities had summoned Gagarin to the command center for help. Finally, it was decided to cancel the launch of the second spacecraft because there was no confidence in whether it could operate normally. When "Soyuz 1" orbited the earth to the seventeenth orbit, the fuel was about to be exhausted, and Komarov's request to return to Earth was approved, but everyone had an ominous premonition.
Komarov manipulated the frequently malfunctioning spacecraft for a final struggle. Due to the failure of the attitude control system, the spacecraft could not be stabilized at the critical moment of braking ignition. He tried to stabilize the spacecraft and adjust its orientation by rolling, but failed. By the 18th orbit, the spacecraft was correctly oriented and rotated normally. The braking rocket was ignited, preparing for ballistic re-entry into the atmosphere. Komarov was almost disqualified as an astronaut due to physical fitness problems, but his engineer experience finally gave him the opportunity. However, during the descent process, when the main parachute opened, it was distorted and could not be opened. The backup parachute was also entangled with the main parachute. At this time, even if Komarov had great abilities, there was nothing he could do.
The Final Moment: The Real Voice
From the discovery of the parachute failure to the impact on the ground, there may be only ten minutes or so. According to "Starman", the ground control center heard Komarov indicating that he knew he was about to die. The content monitored by American agents shows that before the spacecraft hit the ground, Komarov cursed and screamed at the spacecraft builders. Although the suspected online recording has not confirmed this point, from a human nature perspective, this reaction is more in line with common sense than those passionate words in the textbook. The records found by American historian Asif Siddiqi from the Russian national archives show the simple conversation between Komarov and the ground. Although the content is plain, it is more real.
On the morning of April 24, 1967, accompanied by a loud noise, "Soyuz 1" crashed into the ground at a speed of more than 500 kilometers per hour. The fire from the explosion reddened the sky, and the spacecraft was smashed to pieces. Only a small section of Komarov's foot bone was found. A year later, Gagarin was unfortunately killed in an airplane accident. Another year later, the United States announced the success of "Apollo 11" landing on the moon.
The Road to Spaceflight: Hardship and Greatness
Three months before Komarov's death, the United States' "Apollo 1" simulation launch failed. The rocket caught fire and three astronauts were killed. The American space disasters are also very distressing. On January 28, 1986, the "Challenger" space shuttle exploded 72 seconds after liftoff, and seven astronauts were killed; on February 1, 2003, the "Columbia" space shuttle disintegrated over northern Texas after liftoff, and seven astronauts were killed. As of 2003, a total of 22 astronauts on missions have sacrificed their lives in space exploration, of which 11 were killed when returning to Earth.
The journey of human exploration of space is full of difficulties and dangers. However, generations of astronauts have resolutely devoted themselves to it. In this great cause, nationality and national boundaries become unimportant. They are all heroes of all mankind. Heroes are also human beings and have a human side. Their greatness does not lie in shouting how passionate slogans, but in bravely challenging the unknown for the dream of humanity and being willing to pay the price of life.