Early life of the first human who died in space

Vladimir Komarov was born in 1927 in a small village in southwestern Russia. From a young age, he showed a keen interest in aviation and engineering. When war engulfed Europe, Vladimir eagerly joined the Soviet Air Force at age 15, lying about his age to enlist.

He proved a natural pilot, conducting over 100 missions and surviving heavy combat. After the war, Vladimir stayed in the air force and began working as a test pilot, breaking records as he earned a reputation for tackling challenging aircraft with fearlessness. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Valentina, whom he shared a deep love and passion for aviation with.

In the late 1950s, as the Soviets raced to beat America in the new frontier of space, Vladimir was selected as one of the first group of cosmonauts. He trained rigorously under immense pressure, pushing both his mind and body to withstand extreme environments on land and sea. Finally, in 1967, Vladimir was picked as commander of Soyuz 1, the USSR’s initial manned space mission.

Despite voicing concerns over technical issues, political pressures demanded an accelerated launch schedule. Once in orbit alone aboard the troubled Soyuz, Vladimir valiantly struggled to complete objectives as conditions deteriorated. Knowing the risks of an emergency landing, he selflessly opted to sacrifice his safety to accomplish a mission that could benefit the future of space travel.

On re-entry, Vladimir had no chance of surviving catastrophic parachute failures. As the burned remains of Soyuz 1 were discovered, millions mourned the loss of their hero, the first human to make the ultimate sacrifice exploring beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Though gone too soon at age 40, Vladimir Komarov’s memory lives on as the pioneering cosmonaut who courageously gave his life furthering humankind’s foothold among the stars.