Buzz
Over the course of space exploration, numerous astronaut and cosmonaut deaths have occurred in accidents related to space missions. We've all heard of the tragic Challenger and Columbia disasters, which led to countless fatalities. However, there are many more incidents that, while harrowing, didn't result in death and thus didn't receive the same media attention. Below are some of these near-fatal encounters in space.
10. Liberty Bell 7
Also known as Mercury-Redstone 4, this mission successfully launched the second American astronaut into space. It took place on July 21, 1961, after several delays due to poor weather. The mission's primary objective was to have an astronaut complete an orbit in space while studying his physical responses. The fortunate astronaut selected for this historic journey was Virgil I. Grissom (affectionately called 'Gus').
The flight lasted just over 15 minutes, but NASA declared it a successful mission. However, many would argue differently due to the turbulent landing and Gus’s close call with death.
The mission was going smoothly until the splashdown phase. The hatch cover, which was supposed to open explosively in case of an emergency, was unintentionally triggered. This malfunction nearly led to Grissom's drowning in the waters off Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Grissom quickly exited the spacecraft to avoid this fate, which ultimately saved his life. To make matters worse, the first helicopter sent to retrieve the capsule failed, leaving Grissom in the water for almost five minutes before help arrived.
9. Voskhod 2
On March 18, 1965, Voskhod 2 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Soviet Union. The mission aimed to demonstrate that humans could survive in space with the right protective suit. The two cosmonauts chosen for this historic flight were Pavel I. Belyayev and Aleksey A. Leonov (sometimes spelled as 'Alexei').
Leonov was selected to perform the first-ever ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA), a spacewalk. This milestone would not only be a huge achievement for the scientific community, but also a source of global fascination. It would also add to the tension of the ongoing Space Race, much to the chagrin of the United States.
The two cosmonauts prepared for the risky venture. Leonov entered the airlock while Belyayev reduced the pressure. Leonov then stepped into the vastness of space, an event broadcast worldwide to showcase Soviet achievement. The spacewalk lasted 10 minutes, after which Leonov reluctantly returned to the airlock.
However, due to the lack of atmosphere in space, Leonov's suit inflated with air, severely restricting his movement. With only 40 minutes of oxygen left, he had to act quickly to avoid suffocation.
Leonov found the solution by releasing small bursts of oxygen into space, allowing his suit to deflate. He repeated this until he was able to squeeze into the cramped airlock, though he came dangerously close to overheating in the process.
Leonov narrowly avoided a tragic fate, escaping death in under three minutes. However, the Voskhod 2 mission was far from over. After a fire hazard, caused by an oxygen buildup inside the cabin, they discovered the autopilot was malfunctioning.
The cosmonauts were forced to manually land the spacecraft in the Siberian wilderness, where they spent two nights stranded away from civilization. On the second day, they were rescued by skiers, who celebrated with them that evening.
8. Gemini 8
Launched on March 16, 1966, this mission marked the United States' attempt to carry out an EVA and dock with the Gemini Agena Target Vehicle (GATV). The astronauts onboard were David Scott and the renowned Neil Armstrong.
At first, everything seemed normal, but soon the two spacecraft began spinning and rolling uncontrollably, signaling the start of a dangerous and potentially deadly situation.
In an effort to regain control, Armstrong disconnected from the GATV. Unfortunately, this only exacerbated the problem, increasing the spinning and rolling. The astronauts then deactivated the Orbit Attitude and Maneuver System (OAMS) and activated all reentry control system (RCS) thrusters in an attempt to stabilize the craft.
The desperate maneuver worked, but left the RCS with just 25 percent of its original fuel supply. Further investigation revealed that one of the OAMS components had been running continuously, short-circuiting and causing the erratic spinning. As a result, the mission was cut short, and the planned space walk was never carried out.
7. Soyuz 5
The primary goal of Soyuz 5 was to successfully dock with Soyuz 4 in space. The mission went smoothly at first, with plans to return to Earth on January 18, 1969. However, when Soyuz 5 attempted to separate from Soyuz 4, the service and reentry modules failed to disconnect, putting the sole cosmonaut aboard, Boris Volynov, in grave danger.
The failure to separate caused the spacecraft to reenter the atmosphere nose-first, creating an extremely aerodynamic situation. The high speed resulted in a severe dent in the hatch's nose and melted the seal, filling the cabin with smoke.
The smoke made it nearly impossible to pilot the craft. A glimmer of hope came when the service and reentry modules finally detached, correcting the craft's orientation. However, it was still barreling through the atmosphere at an alarming velocity.
The parachute deployed as expected, but the soft-landing rockets malfunctioned. This caused a brutal landing, throwing Volynov forward in his harness and breaking several of his teeth. Though he exited the craft safely, he had to walk through the -40°C (-40°F) cold to reach Kustani, Russia, where he was finally rescued.
6. Apollo 12
The Apollo 12 mission was scheduled for launch on November 14, 1969, shortly after the iconic Apollo 11 mission that made history with the first Moon landing. Apollo 12 aimed to replicate the feat and carry out additional objectives. The crew included astronauts Dick Gordon, Pete Conrad, and Alan Bean. However, the mission took a dangerous turn soon after liftoff.
The launch proceeded as planned until the spacecraft had ascended about 2,000 meters (6,500 ft). At exactly 36 seconds into the flight, a bolt of lightning struck the spacecraft. The alarm system went off immediately, with astronaut Bean later recalling that the flashing lights were more intense than anything he'd ever seen in the simulator.
Matters worsened when a second lightning strike hit just 16 seconds later, causing a complete system failure and knocking out the power to the command module. With the battery backups only capable of lasting a few hours, the situation became dire.
Amid rising panic, environmental control engineer John Aaron suggested a solution: Switch the spacecraft from SCE to AUX, which would activate auxiliary mode. Once the crew followed these instructions, power was restored, and the mission proceeded as planned.
That little-known switch saved the mission and the crew's lives, but it was a very close call.
5. Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project marked a groundbreaking moment in the history of space exploration. It was the first collaborative mission between the United States and the Soviet Union in space.
The Apollo-Soyuz mission took place on July 15, 1975, shortly after the conclusion of the Space Race. The crew consisted of three American astronauts: Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and Donald Slayton. Despite a close call during reentry, the mission was deemed a success.
The automatic landing system failed, forcing the crew to take manual control in order to deploy the parachutes in time. This caused the spacecraft to shake, but the issue was resolved when the automatic system was restored 30 seconds later.
However, the pressure relief valve had malfunctioned, allowing gases from outside the spacecraft to enter. Along with oxygen, the crew was exposed to toxic gases, leaving them near unconscious by the time of splashdown. Brand even lost consciousness briefly.
Stafford quickly applied an oxygen mask to Brand, helping him regain consciousness. The crew spent two weeks in a Honolulu hospital, fortunate not to suffer more severe health issues after such a perilous situation.
4. Soyuz T-10-1
The Soyuz T-10-1 mission was a disastrous Soviet space attempt. Its objective was to replace the solar arrays on the Salyut 7 space station. However, just before the mission was set to launch, a catastrophic event rendered the crew unable to proceed with the task.
Only a minute before liftoff, a massive fire consumed the Soyuz booster. Fortunately, the crew was experienced enough to sense something was wrong. They strapped into their harnesses, preparing for what they believed would be a hazardous situation.
The escape tower ignited with alarming speed, successfully pulling the capsule to safety away from the burning launch pad. This emergency abort system saved the two cosmonauts' lives, sparing them from what could have been a deadly disaster.
3. ISS Expedition 36
The tragic event of Expedition 36 took place aboard the International Space Station on July 9, 2013, marking the most recent space-related emergency as of mid-2017. During the 22nd spacewalk of the mission, American astronaut Luca Parmitano noticed water rapidly filling his helmet.
Approximately 0.5–1.0 liter (17–34 oz) of water filled his helmet, rising near his mouth. His teammates concluded that the leak originated from Parmitano's drink bag, which likely released liquid as he leaned forward in the airlock.
A week later, during another EVA, Parmitano’s helmet began filling with water once again. He continued with the spacewalk until over 1 liter (34 oz) of water made it nearly impossible for him to see or breathe. The walk was immediately called off, and Parmitano, along with his crewmate, returned to the spacecraft.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that the leakage wasn't from his drink bag, but rather from a “contamination and blockage” inside his suit. Parmitano came dangerously close to drowning in space. As a result of this incident, new safety measures have been put in place to prevent such accidents in the future.
2. STS-98
Launched on February 7, 2001, the STS-98 mission carried a five-person crew: Ken Cockrell, Mark Polansky, Robert Curbeam, Thomas Jones, and Marsha Ivins. The mission featured three spacewalks, with the first one almost resulting in disaster.
The first spacewalk lasted just over 7.5 hours. During the spacewalk, Jones and Curbeam connected electrical and data cables, along with cooling lines. A mishap occurred when Curbeam was working with the cooling lines, leading to a small ammonia leak.
Fortunately, the leak was quickly contained, but some toxic ammonia crystals clung to Curbeam. To ensure his safety, he had to stay exposed to the Sun for an additional 34 minutes to allow the crystals to evaporate.
Jones decontaminated both the equipment and his suit. A slight pressurization was applied in the airlock to ensure that no ammonia could leak into the cabin. Had the crew been exposed to such toxic chemicals, the mission’s success would have been severely compromised.
1. Mir
The Mir space station faced multiple challenges over the years, but two particular incidents in 1997 stood out. The first occurred on February 23, when a routine task involving the ignition of an oxygen-creating canister led to an uncontrollable fire.
The Russian crew donned gas masks as they worked to extinguish the flames, with smoke filling the Soyuz spacecraft. Fortunately, the smoke eventually dissipated, and the crew did not suffer any long-term health consequences.
The second incident was the most catastrophic space collision ever recorded. On June 25, only months after the fire, a crew member lost control of a cargo ship during a docking test. The ship struck the station, causing a hazardous air leak.
Fortunately, the crew detected the hissing sound before any serious damage occurred and traced it to the Spektr module. They quickly cut the cables connected to the module and sealed the hatches, preventing further loss of air. Their swift actions ensured the crew’s safety and kept them from suffering any major harm.
