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posted 10-11-2019 12:11 PM               

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Apart from Yuri Gagarin, Leonov was THE living legend of the Russian space programme and anyone lucky enough to meet him knew it was a privilege.

I flew to Autographica in London in 2010 to present him with a copy of "Footprints in the Dust" — and to get him to sign one for me!

He was a man who took no prisoners when pushy autograph collectors got too demanding but if you got on his good side he was a true gentleman.

When I gave him the book he looked me in the eye and said in his unique English: "What, for me? At last I get something!"

I was later very gratified to see him walking around the show with the book safely tucked under his arm.

Godspeed Alexei

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From: Middletown, NJ, USA
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posted 10-11-2019 03:15 PM               

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Had the pleasure of meeting Alexei Arkhipovich on several occasions. Always very personable with a great sense of humor. He loved to tell stories about his EVA and was the greatest Ambassador for the Soviet/Russian manned space program.

One time in Star city I was able to present him with a copy of the Life magazine with Ed White on the front performing the first US EVA. He was thrilled to have a copy.

Condolences to his family on his passing. He will be greatly missed.

It leaves Boris Volynov as the last surviving member of the first Cosmonaut group.

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From: Washington, IL
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posted 10-11-2019 03:22 PM               

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Very sad to hear about Leonov's passing.

Has there been any statement by Tom Stafford, who met with Leonov in 1975 during the historic ASTP mission?

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posted 10-11-2019 05:11 PM               

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I had the absolute privilege and pleasure of twice meeting and conversing with Alexei Leonov, who was a true giant of human space exploration. The first time was at the 1993 ASE gathering in Vienna (where he signed my copy of his book, "The Wind is Free), and the second occasion was a Sims/Hankow event in San Antonio, Texas. Without doubt my favourite recollection of that event was when I was shopping for signing pens in a small nearby supermarket, and in walked Alexei Leonov, Valentina Tereshkova, Valery Kubasov and Pavel Popovich, who armed themselves with shopping baskets and wandered the shelves. At the time I thought, 'Wow … could anyone have imagined back in the sixties that four of the Soviet Union's greatest space heroes would one day be found shopping in a Texas supermarket?' and that has always remained a wonderful memory from back then.

Alexei was kind enough to supply a wonderful foreword to the 2009 book I co-wrote with my great and sadly missed friend Rex Hall.

You may have left us, Alexei Arkhipovich, but you will never, ever be forgotten.

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