Leonov is also notable for his second flight (1975) which was the culmination of the Soyuz-Appolo project - that's when independently launched Soviet and US spa

Leonov is also notable for his second flight (1975) which was the culmination of the Soyuz-Appolo project - that's when independently launched Soviet and US spacecrafts rendezvoused in the orbit and stayed docked for two days with crews carrying out joint experiments and what not. The project was widely regarded as an end of the "space race". Also he is just a very nice, down-to-earth and kind person, which is something that he is actually known for ... though it's hardly a rare trait between cosmo/astronauts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo%E2%80%93Soyuz_Test_Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo%E2%80%93Soyuz_Test_Proj...