In 1975, cosmonauts Vassili Lazarev and Oleg Makarov survived a near-fatal Soyuz crash landing after a rocket failure, narrowly avoiding a deadly ravine.
Cosmonauts face life-threatening crash
On April 5, 1975, cosmonauts Vassili Lazarev and Oleg Makarov launched from Baikonur aboard Soyuz 18a with the objective of joining the orbiting Salyut 4 station. A failure in the third stage of their launcher triggered an automatic flight interruption at T+288.6 seconds, subjecting the two cosmonauts to a deceleration of 21.3 g, which briefly stopped their hearts.Capsule crash-lands in remote mountains
The capsule crash-landed 1,574 km from the original target in the snow-covered mountains of the Altai, stopping only a few meters from a 152-meter ravine due to the parachute catching on trees. The two men spent the night at -7°C in their module before being rescued the next day by Russian residents.Deceleration exceeds expectations
The deceleration experienced by Lazarev and Makarov was significantly higher than the 15 g typically expected in such scenarios. According to AFP, the abrupt deceleration caused temporary vision loss and briefly stopped their hearts. The capsule slid down a snowy slope in the Altai until its parachute caught on trees near a cliff.Geopolitical concerns during rescue
Lazarev and Makarov feared they had landed in China, a country with which the Soviet Union had tense diplomatic relations at the time. They were ultimately rescued by Russian residents, alleviating their geopolitical concerns. The accident was partially disclosed by the Soviets, a rare occurrence at the time, due to the upcoming Apollo-Soyuz project with the United States.Aftermath and legacy of the accident
The mission was referred to as the "April 5 anomaly" by the Soviet Union, while the subsequent flight in May 1975 was named Soyuz 18. Lazarev was initially denied his space flight bonus of 3,000 roubles due to injuries sustained during the accident and had to appeal directly to Leonid Brezhnev to receive it. The incident highlights the risks of space exploration and the emergency procedures that have since been incorporated into modern Soyuz launches, such as the mission MS-29 in July 2026.
