Vladimir Komarov Biography
(First Cosmonaut to Fly into Space Twice and the First Human to Die in a Space Flight)
Birthday: March 16, 1927 (Pisces)
Born In: Moscow, Russia
Vladimir Komarov was a Soviet aerospace engineer, test pilot, and cosmonaut. Born in Moscow, Soviet Union, he grew up amidst difficult financial circumstances. His father was a laborer and did many odd jobs to support his family. Vladimir joined a local elementary school but had to quit it due to the German invasion of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. While working as a laborer, he developed a keen interest in the aviation sector. At the age of 15, he joined a local aviation school. Due to the war, the school was transferred to Siberia. In 1949, Vladimir became a lieutenant in the ‘Soviet Air Force.’ He was then enlisted as an ‘Air Force’ pilot. In 1959, he was promoted to the position of engineer-captain. In 1964, Vladimir commanded the ‘Voskhod 1,’ the first spaceflight carrying multiple crew members. He was later selected as the solo pilot of another spaceflight, the ‘Soyuz 1.’ However, the flight crashed due to a faulty parachute during re-entry, and Vladimir became the first man to die in a space flight.