Colonel Vladimir Komarov
April 23rd, 1967, at 00:32 UTC, Soyuz 1 launched away from Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov, the first Soviet cosmonaut to fly in space twice.
Shortly after launch, problems began when one solar panel failed to unfold, leading to a shortage of power. Then, problems with the orientation detectors began to complicate the maneuvering of the spacecraft.
By the 13th orbit, the automatic stabilization system went completely offline, and the manual system, only partially effective.
It was during the 13th orbit that the flight director aborted the mission. After 18 orbits, Soyuz 1 fired its retrorockets and began to reenter the Earth's atmosphere. To slow the descent, first the drogue parachute was deployed, followed by the main chute.
Due to a defect, the main parachute did not properly unfold during its deployment. Komarov then activated the manually deployed reserve chute, but it became entangled with the drogue chute, which itself malfunctioned when it did not release as intended.
As a result, the Soyuz descent module fell to Earth in Orenburg Oblast almost entirely unimpeded, at approximately 40 m/s (89 mph).
A rescue helicopter arrived on scene, and spotted the descent module lying on its side with its chute spread across the ground.
The retrorockets only then began to fire, causing the descent module to be engulfed in flames and black smoke.
With streams of molten metal dripping from the exterior of the capsule, and the entire base of the capsule burned through, it was obvious to the rescue team that Col Komarov had not survived.
There was no established code signal for a cosmonaut's death, so the rescuers resorted to firing a signal flare calling for medical assistance.
The ill-equipped rescuers then attempted to extinguish the blazing capsule with portable fire extinguishers, even using shovels to toss dirt onto the flaming spacecraft.
In a short amount of time, the descent module had completely disintegrated, leaving only a small scorched pile of debris topped by the entry hatch.
August 2nd, 1971; the crew of Apollo 15, Commander David Scott and Lunar Module Pilot James Irwin, had finished their three days on the Moon, and 18½ hours outside the spacecraft on lunar extra-vehicular activity (EVA) near Mare Imbrium called Palus Putredinus.
At the Soyuz 1 crash site coordinates of 51.3615°N 59.5622°E, where all that remains is a simple memorial monument in the form of a black column, with a bust of Komarov at the top, located in a small park on the side of a road.
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