The Dark Side of the Moon

On April 23rd 1967 Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov launched into space aboard the ill-fated Soyuz -1 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Vladimir Komarov

The mission was doomed before lift-off but put into motion anyway to appease the leader of Russia, Leonid Brezhnev. Vladimir Komarov went ahead with the doomed flight knowing full well that death awaited him and the knowledge that if he refused, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin would likely have to go in his place.

The capsule hit the ground at roughly 90mph dragging a partly deployed chute.

Read the full story HERE.

A Safe Return Home

The Soyuz TMA-20 near the ISS

After spending 157 days docked to the ISS, the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft, with Russian cosmonaut Dmitri Kondratyev at the controls, undocked from the Rassvet module at 21:35 UTC on 23 May 2011. The ISS was flying above eastern China at the time separated.The Soyuz executed its deorbit burn at 01:36 UTC on May 24. The descent, habitation and propulsion modules making up the spacecraft separated at 02:01 UTC. The descent module, with the crew inside, reached the first traces of the Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 62 miles at 02:03 UTC.

Russian cosmonaut Dmitri Kondratyev,NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman and ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli pictured shortly after landing today.

 

A perfect landing in Zhezkazgan,  Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft landed safely at 02:27 UTC on 24 May 2011, after a mission lasting 159 days, seven hours and 17 minutes.

The re-entry was conducted without any significant problems. Soyuz TMA-20's large parachute and smaller drogue chute inflated as planned, and the spacecraft descended towards its landing zone in Kazakhstan. Welcome Home!

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