Valery Kubasov

Valery Kubasov, born on January seventh, nineteen thirty-five, was a distinguished Soviet and Russian cosmonaut, engineer, and writer. His remarkable career in the Soyuz program included significant missions as a flight engineer on Soyuz 6 and Soyuz 19, the latter being part of the historic Apollo–Soyuz mission. He also commanded Soyuz 36 during the Intercosmos program, showcasing his leadership and expertise in space exploration.

On July twenty-first, nineteen seventy-five, Kubasov made history when he became the first to exit the Soyuz 7K-TM module after its landing in Kazakhstan at five fifty-one p.m. This mission was pivotal in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, where he conducted groundbreaking welding experiments in space alongside fellow cosmonaut Georgy Shonin.

In addition to his flight missions, Kubasov played a crucial role in the development of the Mir space station, contributing to advancements in human spaceflight. After retiring from the Russian space program in November nineteen ninety-three, he took on the position of deputy director at RKK Energia, further influencing the future of space exploration.

Throughout his career, Kubasov faced life-threatening situations, narrowly escaping death on two occasions. Initially, he was slated to fly on Soyuz 2A, which was later found to have a faulty parachute sensor linked to the tragic Soyuz 1 incident. Additionally, he was grounded for medical reasons prior to the Soyuz 11 mission, which ended in disaster due to a depressurization accident.