Alexej Leonow

Alexej Leonow was a pioneering Soviet cosmonaut best known for being the first person to conduct a spacewalk in 1965. He played a significant role in the historic Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975, where he and American astronaut Thomas Stafford famously shook hands in space, symbolizing a moment of cooperation during the Cold War. Leonow continued to advocate for peaceful collaboration in space until his death in 2019.