Space Flight Gallery

Alexei Leonov, first space walk, 1965

First space walk. Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (born 1934), outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft in a spacesuit on 18 March 1965, while orbiting the Earth (in the background). This was the world's first extravehicular activity (EVA), or space walk. Voskhod 2 had launched earlier that day, and Leonov exited the spacecraft at 08:30 UTC. He remained outside for 10 minutes, before trying to re-enter. Because his suit had ballooned while outside, he had to let some of his air out before he could successfully re-enter. Cameras mounted on the airlock were meant to record the space walk, but most had to be abandoned due to the problems with Leonov's spacesuit. The CCCP on Leonov's helmet refers to the USSR

© RIA NOVOSTI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Vostok 1 spacecraft after landing, 1961

Vostok 1 descent module after landing in the Saratov region of Russia, in the USSR, on 12 April 1961. Vostok 1 was the first spacecraft to take a human into space. Its spherical descent module, which measured 2.3 metres across and housed Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin during the spaceflight. The spacecraft launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, and took 1 hour and 48 minutes to circle the Earth. After re-entry the descent module separated from the rest of the spacecraft. Gagarin ejected 7 kilometres up, parachuting safely to the ground. The descent module also deployed a parachute, but impacted the ground hard enough to create an impact crater, bouncing several times before coming to rest covered in soil

© RIA NOVOSTI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Space Shuttle launch

Space Shuttle launch, computer enhanced image. This is mission STS-99, flown by the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It launched on 11 February 2000. Space Shuttles, flown by NASA since 1981, are reusable spacecraft launched with an external fuel tank (orange) and two booster rockets (white) on either side of the external tank. Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel from the external tank is used to run the Shuttle's main internal engines (blue exhaust gases). Most of the thrust is from the two booster rockets that use an explosive solid fuel mixture. The external tank is discarded, but the booster rockets parachute back to Earth and are reused. An ascent takes about 9 minutes. The Shuttle uses its wings to glide back to Earth after it has re-entered the atmosphere

© DETLEV VAN RAVENSWAAY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY