The tragic event happened in April 1967, when Soyuz 1 launched its very first mission carrying a crew. Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov was the man chosen to lead this crucial flight.
But what should have been a proud milestone quickly turned into a disaster. The spacecraft, part of the Soviet space program during the intense race between Russia and the US to conquer space, crashed into an empty field just after 7 a.m.
In 2011, the incident was featured in the book Starman: The Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin. The book stirred debate, with many readers and critics arguing it contained multiple ‘errors’ and inaccuracies.
Still, according to confirmed reports from NASA, Komarov successfully completed multiple orbits around Earth. His trouble only began when he tried to return through the atmosphere after finishing his mission in space.
However, something went terribly wrong. One of the two solar panels needed to power important functions never unfolded. Because of that malfunction, Komarov couldn’t carry out the main objective of his mission.
At the time, no one expected this would be a turning point for the Soviet space program. NASA noted that this failure ended up delaying their lunar ambitions by a full year and a half.
Not only had one solar panel failed to extend, but it was also tangled around the service module. Making matters worse, Komarov couldn’t properly steer the spacecraft. The problem was blamed on interference between the reaction control system’s exhaust and the ion flow sensors.
These ion sensors played a critical role in navigation. Because they were compromised, the decision was made to bring Komarov home. While the re-entry into the atmosphere itself went okay, the landing did not go as planned at all.
Tragically, Komarov had no other option. With both parachutes useless, he had to brace himself, knowing death was coming in seconds.
The spacecraft hit the Earth at high speed and exploded on April 24, 1967, taking Komarov’s life instantly.
Reports from the crash site described his burned remains as resembling a ‘lump.’ The only part of his body that could be identified was his heel bone.
That chilling moment was captured on audio, and according to Starman, Komarov also said: “This devil ship! Nothing I lay my hands on works properly.”
According to the transcript stored in the Russian State Archive, one of Komarov’s final messages to his team was: “I feel excellent, everything’s in order.”
A short time after that, he reportedly sent another message, saying: “Thank you for transmitting all of that. Separation occurred.”
