FIFTY FIVE YEARS AGO,
the mighty Russian Soyuz-1 spacecraft stood on the launch pad at the Baikanur Cosmodrome in the Soviet state of Kazakhstan. It was 1965, the Russian moon landing program was several years ahead of the US Apollo moon program. This was to be the first manned test flight of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
On board the Soyuz-1 spacecraft was a single cosmonaut. The Soyuz-2 spacecraft would follow and they would test docking procedures.
But, the Soyuz-1 was plagued with problems and after only 18 orbits was ordered to return.
However, upon re-entry, the parachutes failed to deploy properly sending the space capsule plunging to earth. The spacecraft exploded in a huge ball of fire upon impact, killing the cosmonaut, Valdimir Komarov.
Also killing the Soviets possibility of landing a man on the moon. After that, the Soviets cancelled the Soyuz moon mission. Something was horribly wrong with the Soyuz-1 spacecraft.
Was it an inherent design flaw - - - - - ?
OR, WAS IT SABOTAGE - - - - - - - -?
