Voskhod 1
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| Voskhod 1 Восход-1 |
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Mission insignia |
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| Mission statistics | |||||
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| Mission name | Voskhod 1 Восход-1 |
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| Spacecraft type | Voskhod 3KV | ||||
| Spacecraft mass | 5,320 kg (11,700 lb) | ||||
| Crew size | 3 | ||||
| Call sign | Рубин (Rubin - "Ruby") | ||||
| Booster | Voskhod | ||||
| Launch pad | Gagarin's Start, Baikonur Cosmodrome[1] | ||||
| Launch date | 12 October 1964 07:30:01 UTC | ||||
| Landing site | 52°2′N 68°8′E / 52.033°N 68.133°E | ||||
| Landing | 13 October 1964 07:47:04 UTC | ||||
| Mission duration | 1d/00:17:03 | ||||
| Number of orbits | 16 | ||||
| Apogee | 336 km (209 mi) | ||||
| Perigee | 178 km (111 mi) | ||||
| Orbital period | 89.6 min | ||||
| Orbital inclination | 64.7° | ||||
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Voskhod 1 (Russian: Восход-1, Ascent 1 or Dawn 1) was the first spaceflight to carry more than one person into space, the first flight without space suits, the first to carry a scientist and a physician into space, and also set an altitude record of 336 km (209 mi). The Soviet mission was specifically planned to beat the U.S. Gemini program to this milestone. As a further propaganda coup, the spacecraft was claimed to have carried into orbit a fragment of a communard banner from the Paris Commune of 1871.
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[edit] Crew
| Position | Cosmonaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Vladimir Komarov First spaceflight |
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| Engineer | Konstantin Feoktistov First spaceflight |
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| Doctor | Boris Yegorov First spaceflight |
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[edit] Backup crew
| Position | Cosmonaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Boris Volynov | |
| Engineer | Vasili Lazarev | |
| Doctor | Georgi Katys | |
[edit] Reserve crew
| Position | Cosmonaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor | Vasili Lazarev | |
[edit] Mission parameters
- Mass: 5,320 kg (11,700 lb)
- Perigee: 178 km (111 mi)
- Apogee: 336 km (209 mi)
- Inclination: 64.7°
- Period: 89.6 min
[edit] Background
The original prime crew, comprising Boris Volynov, Georgi Katys, and Boris Yegorov, was dumped three days before the scheduled launch date due to the State Commission discovering that Volynov's mother was Jewish.[2]
There was also some controversy between the military, which wanted an all-pilot crew, and Sergey Korolyov, who wanted to send non-military personnel into space. Konstantin Feoktistov, who had been an engineer in the Vostok and Soyuz programs, was the only spacecraft designer to make a spaceflight, while Boris Yegorov, a medical doctor, managed to get selected through his father's Politburo connections.
[edit] Mission highlights
The Voskhod spacecraft were basically Vostok spacecraft with a backup, solid-fuel retro-rocket added to the top of the descent module. The ejection seat was removed and three crew couches were added to the interior at a 90-degree angle to that of the Vostok crew position. There was no provision for crew escape in the event of a launch or landing emergency. A solid-fuel braking rocket was also added to the parachute lines to provide for a softer landing at touchdown. This was necessary because, unlike the Vostok, no ejection seats were fitted and therefore the crew had to land in the Voskhod descent module.
Much of the mission was devoted to biomedical research and to study of how a multi-disciplinary team could work together in space. Nikita Khrushchev was removed from power during the flight; ground control informed the crew that "there is more in heaven and earth than is dreamt of in your philosophy..." and cut the mission short. The cramped conditions of the capsule has also been suggested as a factor ruling out a longer duration flight.
Coming as it did before the two-man Gemini flights, Voskhod 1 had a significant international impact. NASA Administrator James E. Webb called it a "significant space accomplishment" adding that it was "a clear indication that the Russians are continuing a large space program for the achievement of national power and prestige."[3]
[edit] References
- ^ "Baikonur LC1". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/sites/baiurlc1.htm. Retrieved on 2009-03-30.
- ^ French, Francis; Colin Burgess, Walter Cunningham (2007). In the Shadow of the Moon. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 253–254. ISBN 0803211287.
- ^ Encyclopedia Astronautica, Voskhod 1
- "Voskhod 1". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/flights/voskhod1.htm. Retrieved on 2008-08-10.
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