In the chilling final transmission of a cosmonaut as he descended from space to his death, Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov’s story remains haunting.
In April 1967, during a space mission, Komarov tragically perished. This event occurred during the Soyuz 1 mission, a manned spaceflight from the Soviet space program that ended in disaster over 57 years ago. It is remembered as one of the most catastrophic incidents in the history of space exploration.
Komarov’s legacy as the ‘man who fell from space’ endures, yet many details about his demise remain enigmatic, primarily due to the secretive nature of the Soviet Union, which has left many aspects of the tragedy unclear.
The credibility of certain accounts about his final moments has been long debated, with some sources being criticized for accuracy issues.
What is known is that Komarov orbited Earth multiple times, and faced difficulties re-entering the atmosphere after his mission, leading to a fatal crash.
The mission commenced on April 23, 1967, where within a 24-hour span, Komarov circled the planet 16 times. A crucial solar panel failed to deploy, preventing mission completion, and he was subsequently ordered to return to Earth. Unfortunately, this re-entry was fatal.
After two additional Earth orbits, he attempted his final descent. At 23,000 feet, the parachute failed due to tangled lines, causing him to fall to his death in an explosion on April 24, 1967.
Komarov realized his impending fate, and his last words were intercepted by US listening posts in Turkey. He expressed his anger while speaking to Alexei Kosygin, a high Soviet official, during his craft’s ill-fated descent.
Reports indicated that his remains were charred beyond recognition, except for a heel bone. There are recordings from those tragic moments, where it is claimed he lamented, “This devil ship! Nothing I lay my hands on works properly.” However, skepticism exists among experts. The Russian State Archive’s official transcript suggests one of his last communications was more composed, stating: “I feel excellent, everything’s in order.”
Shortly thereafter, he reportedly communicated: “Thank you for transmitting all of that. [Separation] occurred.”