Vostok 3Spacecraft:3KA-5 Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8K72 Launched: 11 Aug 1962 |
Prime Crew |
Description: 1st Vostok 3KA SL-3 manned orbital of 1st dual flight |
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A G Nikolayev 
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Backup Crew |
V F Bykovskij
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The first flight in which Vostok capsules were launched one day apart, coming within a few kilometers of each other at the orbital insertion of the second spacecraft. Vostok 3 studied man's ability to function under conditions of weightlessness; conducted scientific observations; furthered improvement of space ship systems, communications, guidance and landing. Immediately at orbital insertion of Vostok 4, the spacecraft were less than 5 km apart. Popovich made radio contact with Cosmonaut Nikolayev. Nikolayev reported shortly thereafter that he had sighted Vostok 4. Since the Vostok spacecraft had no maneuvering capability, they could not rendezvous or dock, and quickly drifted apart. The launches did allow Korolev to offer something new and different, and gave the launch and ground control crews practice in launching and handling more than one manned spacecraft at a time. The cosmonauts took color motion pictures of the earth and the cabin interior. Popovich had problems with his life support system, resulting in the cabin temperature dropping to 10 degrees Centigrade and the humidity to 35%. The cosmonaut still managed to conduct experiments, including taking colour motion pictures of the terminator between night and day and the cabin interior. Despite the conditions, Popovich felt able to go for the full four days scheduled. But before the mission, Popovich had been briefed to tell ground control that he was 'observing thunderstorms' if he felt the motion sickness that had plagued Titov and needed to return on the next opportunity. Unfortunately he actually did report seeing thunderstorms over the Gulf of Mexico, and ground control took this as a request for an early return. He was ordered down a day early, landing within a few mintutes of Nikolayev. Only on the ground was it discovered that he was willing to go the full duration, and that ground control had thought he had given the code. Both pilots ejected after re-entry and descended under their own parachutes, as was planned. However for many years the Soviet Union denied this, because the flights would not have been recognized for various FAI world records unless the pilots had accompanied their craft to a landing. The mission insignia shown above is post factum. References:
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