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The first man to ever walk in space has died

Alexei Leonov made history on March 18, 1965, when he embarked on the first spacewalk – where 12 minutes earned him a lifetime of respect.
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(CNN) — Alexei Leonov, the first person to perform a spacewalk has passed away at age 85.

Russian space agency Roscosmos Space Corporation announced his passing Friday, October 11.

Leonov made history on March 18, 1965, when he embarked on the first spacewalk. He spent 12 minutes outside the craft on the Voskhod 2 mission.

On the Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975, he met with US astronauts in space to give TV viewers tours of their respective crafts, the first time Soviet and US cosmonauts collaborated in space. The mission is credited with kickstarting international cooperation aboard the International Space Station.

The space agency provided few details about Leonov’s death but said his funeral will be held October 15 at Mytischi Military Memorial cemetery outside Moscow.

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