Russian Astronaut Boris Volynov and the disaster that struck him?

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

How many have heard of this smilingly disaster.

 

[Matthew Duncan]

Wowzer!

[Trailrider #896]

The fact that the orbital module was leading the landing craft during the major portion of the reentry, is what saved him.  And, when it finally did release, the landing capsule turned over so the heat shield was facing into the reentry trajectory, saved him the second time. This was not the only time that cosmonauts flew without pressure suits. Unfortunately, when cabin pressure failed on another reentry, three cosmonauts died!  Fortunately, on Soyuz flights, the three passengers wear pressure suits both on ascent and reentry.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

The Soviets had many disasters which they easily swept under the rug. Yuri  Gagarin wanted to go back to space. The govt did not want to lose their national hero, his death would not be so easy to ignore.

 

instead he died trying to requalify on a MiG-15.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

John Glenn was not allowed to fly in space again for the same reason, while the other Mercury astronauts flew in the Gemini and Apollo programs. By the time he was a passenger on a Shuttle, it was less of an issue. 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

And yet Communists don't believe in a God