The profession as an astronaut is indeed very proud. Because it is a rare profession and not everyone can achieve it.
But behind pride, an astronaut must take a big risk because traveling to space is very risky. Astronauts risk their lives every day. Not even a few astronauts who had accidents there.
Here are the worst accidents in space in the history of the world’s astronauts!
1. Soyuz 1 (1967): Parachute failure
The Soviet Union’s spacecraft carried out a lunar exploration mission called Soyuz 1 in 1967. The plane that carried cosmonauts (astronauts trained by Russian Space Agency) named Vladimir Komarov fell due to a parachute malfunction.
Allegedly, the parachute was not folded perfectly. So when the plane is about to land, there is no force holding it back. They hit the ground fatally.
According to the page Space.com, Komarov and the rest of the crew had thought that there was a problem with the plane they were on, but the Soviet leadership ignored the warning. As a result, Komarov and his friends died in the accident.
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2. Soyuz 11 (1971): Aircraft valve leak
insider.com–
Four years after the Soyuz 1 tragedy, bad news also hit the Soyuz 11 mission. The three cosmonauts involved spent 22 days in Earth’s orbit.
But on the way back to Earth, tragedy struck. The cosmonauts were found dead in the plane.
The Soviets did not reveal their cause of death until several years later. According to their testimony, there was a leak in the plane’s valve causing turbulence. The crew is presumed dead due to asphyxiation, decreased oxygen flow to the brain.
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3. Space Shuttle Challenger (1986): Disintegrated due to too cold temperatures
whyy.org–
An extreme accident happened to the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986. Because at that time, NASA broadcast the flight of the spacecraft live to the world. They wanted to demonstrate a number of experiments in space, so they invited Christa McAuliffe, an ordinary teacher.
The plane that was carrying seven people disintegrated or split apart while crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Even though they had just flown for 73 seconds.
It is suspected that the cause was the temperature being too cold so the device called the O-ring was damaged. The plane exploded into pieces in the air and this was witnessed by many people.
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4. Apollo 1 (1967): Airplane cabin caught fire
thoughtco.com–
Apollo 1 was a failed space mission before it was executed. Actually this mission aims to test the Apollo Command to be flown into Earth orbit. But unfortunately, the plane used for the mission caught fire before flying into space. The three astronauts on board also died.
The fire is thought to have originated from a faulty electrical component. The fire quickly devoured the cabin because of the large amount of nylon material there. After the Apollo 1 tragedy occurred, NASA had a vacuum for some time to optimize the aircraft and their security systems.
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5. Apollo 12 (1969): Struck by lightning twice
futurecdn.net–
Flying in bad weather is not a good idea. There are many possibilities that can happen, one of which is being struck by lightning. The plane for Apollo 12 had experienced it in 1969. Not once, but twice.
The first strike occurred 36 seconds after the plane was launched. This makes the three fuel cells die. Shortly after, at 52 seconds, lightning struck again and caused damage to several of its parts. The plane landed in the sea. Luckily, all the astronauts on board survived.
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6. Gemini 9 (1966): Plane crashes due to bad weather
wikimedia.org–
Gemini 9 is a NASA project to carry out an expedition on the Moon for the seventh time. Unfortunately, the plane carrying astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett crashed over Missouri, United States.
The reason is bad weather which makes visibility limited. As a result, both astronauts died on this mission.
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7. ISS Expedition 36 (2013) Astronauts nearly drowned in space
nasa.gov–
Drowning in space, how is that possible? It’s true that we can’t predict what could happen in outer space. The proof, astronaut Luca Parmitano experienced it while flying for ISS Expedition 36 in 2013.
When carrying out activities outside the aircraft (extra vehicular activity), he reported that there was a constant flow of liquid inside his helmet. He had difficulty communicating.
Given how dangerous this was, the mission was aborted, Parmitano was asked to return to the plane immediately. Luckily, the helmet was quickly removed before he got any injuries.
In addition to the events already mentioned, there are actually many other accidents that have happened to astronauts, both in space and while on Earth. This proves that the job is high risk.
Lives are at stake. What’s more, no one can predict what will happen in space. Therefore, we must appreciate their performance, yes!
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