Alexei Leonov, a legendary Soviet cosmonaut who was the first man to perform a spacewalk in 1965, died in Moscow on Friday aged 85 after a long illness.
The Russian space agency Roscosmos said it was saddened to announce the death of “cosmonaut No 11” who was twice decorated with the country’s top honour, the Hero of the Soviet Union.
Tributes poured in from across the globe, with Western space agencies and experts praising Leonov’s contribution and admirers bidding him farewell.
“This is a loss for the whole planet,” said Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko.
Leonov’s assistant Natalia Filimonova told AFP that he died at Moscow’s Burdenko hospital after a long illness.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences to Leonov’s widow and daughter, calling him a “true trailblazer” and a “heroic person.”
NASA and the European Space Agency both praised the pioneering cosmonaut.
