06 June - Soyuz program: Soyuz 11 was launched in 1971

 

On 06 June 1971, the Soyuz 11 mission was launched as part of the Soviet Union's Soyuz program. This mission carried a crew of three cosmonauts: Georgi Dobrovolski, Viktor Patsayev, and Vladislav Volkov. Their primary objective was to dock with the Salyut 1 space station, which was the world's first space station launched by the Soviet Union.

Soyuz 11 successfully rendezvoused and docked with the Salyut 1 space station, allowing the crew to begin their mission aboard the station. During their time aboard, they conducted scientific experiments and observations, as well as routine maintenance tasks.

However, tragedy struck upon their return to Earth. During re-entry, a cabin vent valve unexpectedly opened, causing the spacecraft's cabin to depressurize rapidly. The crew perished before the capsule landed safely on Earth. It was a devastating loss for the Soviet space program and served as a sobering reminder of the dangers inherent in space exploration.