7 ▁( M ond ay ) ▁Vladimir ▁Kom ar ov ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Soviet ▁cos mon aut ▁to ▁die , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁person ▁to ▁be ▁killed ▁during ▁a ▁space fl ight , ▁when ▁the ▁par ach ute ▁of ▁his ▁space ▁caps ule ▁So y uz ▁ 1 ▁failed ▁during ▁re - entry . ▁ ▁The ▁caps ule ▁crash ed ▁at ▁ 8 : 2 4   a . m . ▁local ▁time , ▁ ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Or sk , ▁and ▁res cu ers ▁found ▁that ▁" the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁space craft ▁had ▁been ▁completely ▁burn ed ▁through " ▁and ▁that ▁Kom ar ov ' s ▁remains ▁had ▁been ▁burn ed ▁into ▁a ▁" black ened ▁l ump ▁meas uring ▁ 3 0 ▁x ▁ 8 0 ▁cm ". ▁His ▁launch ▁the ▁day ▁before ▁had ▁been ▁complicated ▁by ▁a ▁d rain ▁of ▁battery ▁power ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁a ▁solar ▁panel ▁to ▁deploy , ▁and ▁he ▁had ▁made ▁ 1 8 ▁or bits ▁at ▁a ▁lower ▁alt itude ▁than ▁planned . ▁ ▁On ▁his ▁last ▁three ▁circ uits ▁of ▁the ▁Earth , ▁as ▁the ▁orbit ▁was ▁decay ing ▁due ▁to ▁fr iction , ▁he ▁was ▁having ▁difficulty ▁cont rolling ▁the ▁vehicle ▁before ▁he ▁made ▁his ▁emer gency ▁re - entry . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁investigation ▁that ▁followed , ▁it ▁was ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁par ach ute ▁design ▁for ▁the ▁So y uz ▁caps ules ▁had ▁been ▁fault y ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁and ▁testing ▁had ▁been ▁poor