Voskhod 2, launched on March 18, 1965, was a manned mission carrying
Pavel Belyayev and
Alexei Leonov. On that day, Leonov made history by becoming the first person to walk in space, a feat he accomplished during a 12-minute and 9-second extravehicular activity.
 |
| A cover commemorating the launch of Voskhod 2, postmarked in Kiev on March 18, 1965, and signed by Alexei Leonov, the first person to walk in space. |
 |
| A portrait photograph of Alexei Leonov, bearing his signature. |
 > |
| Photo: Voskhod 2 crew, Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov. |
 |
| A photograph of the Voskhod 2 crew dressed in winter gear, with signatures by Alexei Leonov and Pavel Belyayev in blue ballpoint on the lower border. - RRAuction |
Despite the remarkable success of the spacewalk, several issues arose afterward. Leonov nearly struggled to re-enter the airlock due to the stiffness of his inflated spacesuit, requiring him to release some pressure to move more easily. Once he was back inside the spacecraft, the crew faced challenges in sealing the hatch properly. Later, a malfunction in the automatic guidance system for re-entry forced them to rely on the manual backup. Voskhod 2 ultimately landed in the dense forests of the Ural Mountains, far from the intended landing zone. The crew spent two nights in the wilderness before being rescued. As a result, subsequent missions in the Voskhod program were considered too dangerous and were canceled.
 |
| Photo: Soviet scientists monitor signals from the Voskhod 2 crew, March 18, 1965. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Photo: A series of photographs capturing Alexei Leonov during the first-ever spacewalk on March 18, 1965. |
 |
| A photo showing crowds in Moscow's Red Square celebrating the successful spacewalk by Leonov. |
 |
| A Voskhod 2 launch cover, postmarked in Liepaja on March 18, 1965. |
 |
| A Voskhod 2 launch cover, postmarked in Silute on March 18, 1965.
|
 |
 |
| Two Voskhod 2 launch covers, both postmarked in Arkhangelsk on March 18, 1965. |
 |
 |
| Two Voskhod 2 covers from Arkhangelsk, postmarked on the crew's landing day, March 19, 1965. |
 |
| A Voskhod 2 imperforate stamp on a KNIGA cover, signed by Alexei Leonov. This imperforate stamp was issued on the crew's landing day, March 19, 1965. |
 |
| Photo: The Voskhod 2 crew made their first public appearance on March 21, 1965. |
 |
 |
| Photo: A sketch made by the crew illustrating how the camera outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft captured Leonov's spacewalk. |
 |
| Photo: Alexei Leonov and Pavel Belyayev being interviewed by a radioman on March 22, 1965. |
 |
 |
| Photo: Alexei Leonov and Pavel Belyayev waving to the crowd as they head to Red Square for a state reception on March 23, 1965. |
 |
 |
 |
| Voskhod 2 covers featuring a special Moscow postmark from March 23, 1965, signed by Alexei Leonov and Pavel Belyayev. The perforated stamps were also issued on March 23, 1965. |
 |
| VA Voskhod 2 KNIGA cover signed by the crew. The stamps were issued and canceled on May 23, 1965.
|
 |
| A Voskhod 2 cover featuring a special Minsk postmark dated March 25, 1965, signed by Alexei Leonov. |
 |
| Photo: Alexei Leonov assists fellow cosmonaut Pavel Belyayev with the sugar before a Moscow press conference. Belyayev explained that Voskhod 2 failed to land as scheduled, overshooting its intended landing zone, and required manual control for touchdown. |
 |
| Photo: Alexei Leonov and Pavel Belyayev recount their historic flight in an exclusive interview with NBC News correspondent Frank Bourgholtzer, aired on NBC Color Television on April 27, 1965. |
 |
 |
| Postcards featuring stamps of the Voskhod 2 crew. |
 |
| Photo: Five-year-old Jens Christian, son of Denmark's Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag, receives autographs from Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov during their visit to Copenhagen on November 26, 1965. |
 |
| Photo: Alexei Leonov and Pavel Belyayev, the new heroes, alongside some members of the Vostok crew. |
 |
| Photo: Cosmonaut Alexei A. Leonov, the first Russian to walk in space, who is also a talented artist with works exhibited in private galleries and newspapers. Leonov has depicted his space experiences on three postage stamps, showcasing the launch, flight near the moon, and his historic spacewalk. He is seen standing next to one of his paintings in an exhibition in Paris, which captures the moment he stepped into space for the first time. |
(Reference from
The Nightmare of Voskhod 2.)
>
