...and a tribute to Alexei

摘要

Sitting on a raised platform in a Moscow hospital meeting room, with a delegation of Soviet cosmonaut specialists commenting on the previous fortnight's medical and psychological examinations of four hopeful British candidates, Alexei Leonov was clearly more than "one of the team". It was not just that he was leading the committee but when he appeared, energy in the room seemed to rise a few notches.We candidates listened nervously in this strange setting as results of various tests were announced but Alexei was very much at home, chatting quietly to doctors, his face occasionally lighting up with a great chuckle. Although small in stature, as many of the Soviet cosmonauts were, Alexei's character was as big as his smile and he put this to good use wherever he was in the world (as well as in orbit) as a Soviet, and later Russian, hero.