Kosmos 57 Spacecraft: 3KD-1 Launch Vehicle: Voskhod 11A57 Launched: 22 Feb 1965

⇑ Mission List ⇑ Designation: Vostok 3KA 3 O(U)-1 Description: 1st Vostok 3KD SL-4 unmanned orbital

Duration: 0.22 days Decay Date: 1965-02-22 USAF Sat Cat: 1093 COSPAR: 1965-012A Apogee: 708 km (439 mi) Perigee: 159 km (98 mi) Inclination: 64.8000 deg Period: 93.20 min Immediately after orbital insertion the airlock and the spacesuit inflated normally. Then two ground control stations sent commands to the spacecraft simultaneously. The combined signals accidentally set off the retrofire sequence, which some time later triggered the self destruct mechanism (designed to prevent the spacecraft from landing in the territory of another state; this despited the fact that on 13 December 1963 the United Nations General Assembly adopted Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which provides that spacecraft "or component parts found beyond the limits of the State of registry shall be returned to that State"). References: Encyclopedia Astronautica. Russian Space Web Wikipedia.