Vostok programme facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Vostok programme

Model of Vostok spacecraft with third stage of R-7
Country	Soviet Union
Manager	Sergei Korolev
Purpose	Put the first Soviet citizens into low Earth orbit and return them safely.
Status	Completed
Program history
Duration	1961–1963
First flight	Vostok 1
Last flight	Vostok 6
Launch site(s)	Baikonur Cosmodrome
Vehicle information
Crewed vehicle(s)	Vostok
Crew capacity	1
Launch vehicle(s)	Vostok

The Vostok programme (Russian: Восток, meaning East) was a Soviet project to send the first people into space. Its main goal was to put Soviet citizens into low Earth orbit and bring them back safely.

This program was competing with the United States' Project Mercury. The Vostok programme made history by sending the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space on Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961. He completed one orbit around Earth.

The Vostok capsule was based on a Zenit spy satellite design. Its launch rocket came from the existing R-7 Semyorka intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The name "Vostok" was kept secret until Gagarin's flight was announced to the world.

The Vostok programme launched six crewed spaceflights between 1961 and 1963. The longest flight lasted almost five days. The last four missions were launched in pairs, one day apart. This showed that the Soviet program could do more than Project Mercury, which had shorter flights and only single missions.

After Vostok, the Voskhod programme followed in 1964 and 1965. It used modified Vostok capsules that could carry two or three people. It also used a bigger rocket.

Why the Vostok Program Started

In 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite. This was a huge step in space exploration. The next big goal was to send a human into space. Both the Soviet Union and the United States wanted to be the first to achieve this. This competition was part of the "Space Race."

Choosing and Training Cosmonauts

By January 1959, the Soviets started getting ready for human spaceflight. Doctors from the Soviet Air Force wanted candidates to be skilled Air Force pilots. They believed pilots were used to high g-forces and had ejection seat experience. The American space program also chose pilots for their Mercury Seven team.

The candidates needed to be smart, handle stress well, and be physically fit. Sergei Korolev, the main designer of the Soviet space program, set specific rules. Cosmonauts had to be male, between 25 and 30 years old, no taller than 1.75 meters (about 5 feet 9 inches), and weigh no more than 72 kilograms (about 158 pounds).

Interviews began in September 1959. Over 200 candidates went through the interview process. By October, they faced tough physical tests, like being exposed to low pressures and a centrifuge test. By the end of 1959, 20 men were chosen. Korolev wanted a larger group than NASA's seven astronauts. Most of these Soviet candidates were not highly experienced pilots, unlike the American astronauts. The Soviet spacecraft were more automated, so less piloting experience was needed.

On January 11, 1960, the Soviet Air Force approved plans for the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center. This center's only job was to prepare cosmonauts for space. Famous aviator Nikolai Kamanin was put in charge. By March, most cosmonauts arrived and were officially welcomed. They started daily fitness training and took classes on rockets, navigation, and astronomy.

Because the first training facility was small, the cosmonauts moved to a new place called Star City on June 29, 1960. This place has been the home of Russia's cosmonaut training for over 60 years.

The Vanguard Six

A spacecraft simulator called the TDK-1 was built. Training all 20 cosmonauts on it would take too long. So, six men were chosen for faster training. This group was called The Vanguard Six. It was formed on May 30, 1960. The first members were Gagarin, Kartashov, Nikolayev, Popovich, Titov, and Varlamov. They were the shortest of the 20 cosmonauts.

In July, two of the six were replaced due to medical reasons. Kartashov had internal bleeding during a centrifuge test. Varlamov hurt his neck in a swimming accident. So, by the end of July, the Vanguard Six were: Gagarin, Bykovskiy, Nelyubov, Nikolayev, Popovich, and Titov.

By January 1961, these six completed parachute and recovery training. They also spent three days in simulators. On January 17, they took their final exams, including time in the simulator and a written test. Based on these results, a group led by Kamanin ranked them. Gagarin was the top choice to be the first man in space.

Vostok Missions

A copy of R-7 in Moscow

Before Vostok 1, the first human spaceflight in April 1961, there were several test flights. In mid-1960, the Soviets learned that the Americans might launch a sub-orbital human flight by January 1961. Korolev wanted to launch a crewed orbital mission before the Americans launched their human suborbital mission.

By April 1960, designers at Korolev's bureau, OKB-1, finished plans for the first Vostok spacecraft. This was the Vostok 1K, used for testing. They also planned Vostok 2K, a spy satellite, and Vostok 3K, which would be used for all six crewed Vostok missions.

Even though the Soviet Union was very large, it was hard to track spacecraft from ground stations within the country. To help with this, the Soviets placed about seven naval ships, or tracking ships, around the world. Each ground station or ship could only communicate with a spacecraft for five to ten minutes.

Korabl-Sputnik 1

The first Vostok spacecraft was called Vostok 1KP. It was not designed to be recovered from orbit. Korolev suggested the media call it Korabl-Sputnik ("Satellite-ship"). The name Vostok was still a secret. This first Vostok spacecraft launched successfully on May 15, 1960. Due to a problem, its thrusters fired and sent it into a higher orbit. It eventually fell back to Earth years later.

Vostok 1K Test Flights

The next six launches used the Vostok 1K design. These had life-support systems and were meant to be recovered. The first of these, launched on July 28, 1960, carried two space dogs named Chayka and Lisichka. The spacecraft exploded shortly after launch, killing both dogs. This mission was not given a public name.

The next mission, Korabl-Sputnik 2, launched on August 19, 1960. It carried two more dogs, Belka and Strelka, along with other living things like mice and insects. This mission was a success. Belka and Strelka became the first living beings to be recovered safely from orbit. During the flight, cameras showed Belka vomiting, which caused some worry. But after landing, the dogs were found to be healthy. This was a big success for the Vostok programme.

The success of Korabl-Sputnik 2 gave designers confidence to plan a human spaceflight. A secret plan for the Vostok programme was approved by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in September 1960. This plan called for one or two more Vostok 1K flights, then two uncrewed Vostok 3K flights, followed by a crewed flight in December 1960.

A major accident happened on October 24, 1960. A rocket explosion killed over 100 people. This was one of the worst disasters in spaceflight history. This rocket was not part of the Vostok programme. Work on Vostok stopped for two weeks. It became clear that a crewed launch in December was not possible.

On December 1, 1960, the next Vostok 1K spacecraft, called Korabl-Sputnik 3, launched. It carried two dogs, Pchyolka and Mushka. After about 24 hours, the engines fired to return to Earth, but not for long enough. This meant the spacecraft would not land in Soviet territory. So, a self-destruct system was activated, and the spacecraft and dogs were destroyed.

The next Vostok 1K spacecraft launched on December 22, 1960, but it failed to reach orbit. It carried two dogs, Kometa and Shutka. The rocket's third stage had a problem, and the emergency escape system activated. The spacecraft landed far from the launch site. A rescue operation took several days in very cold weather. Both dogs were found alive, and the spacecraft was brought back to Moscow weeks later.

Vostok 3KA Pre-Human Flights

The two uncrewed missions right before the first human flight used the same spacecraft design as the crewed missions, called Vostok 3KA. These flights carried a single dog and a life-size mannequin in the main ejection seat. Unlike the crewed missions, they had a self-destruct system. The recent failures of Vostok 1K were worrying. But it was decided to go ahead with these automated Vostok 3KA launches. A crewed mission would only be approved if these two automated missions were successful. These two flights were planned to last only one orbit, just like the first human flight.

The first of these uncrewed flights, Korabl-Sputnik 4, launched on March 9, 1961. It carried the dog Chernushka and a mannequin named Ivan Ivanovich. The mannequin wore a working SK-1 spacesuit. The dog was in a small pressurized sphere with 80 mice, guinea pigs, and other living things. More animals were placed inside the mannequin. After one orbit, the descent module landed successfully. The mannequin was safely ejected, and the dog landed separately by parachute. The flight lasted 106 minutes, and the dog was recovered alive. This mission was a complete success.

On March 23, before the next mission, an accident happened during training. Cosmonaut candidate Valentin Bondarenko died in a fire in an oxygen-rich room. He died in a hospital eight hours later. Bondarenko's death was the first known cosmonaut fatality. His death was kept secret for many years.

The next uncrewed flight, Korabl-Sputnik 5, launched on March 25, two days after Bondarenko's death. Like the previous Vostok 3KA flight, it lasted for only one orbit. It carried a mannequin and a dog named Zvezdochka ("Starlet"). This mission was also a complete success. This success was the final step needed to get approval for a crewed mission. The part of the Korabl-Sputnik 5 spacecraft that returned to Earth was sold at an auction in 2011.

Crewed Vostok Flights

Cancelled Vostok Missions

Several other Vostok flights were planned but never happened. These included:

• Vostok 6A - This was meant to be a flight with a female cosmonaut, similar to Vostok 5. Instead, it became Vostok 6.
• Vostok 7 - An 8-day high-altitude flight to study radiation and biology.
• Vostok 8 and Vostok 9 - These were planned as a pair of 10-day high-altitude flights for scientific studies.
• Vostok 10 - Another 10-day high-altitude flight for scientific studies.
• Vostok 11 and Vostok 12 - These were planned to test spacewalks (extra-vehicular activity).
• Vostok 13 - A 10-day high-altitude flight for scientific studies.

All these planned missions were cancelled in early 1964. Their parts were used for the Voskhod programme. The Voskhod programme aimed to achieve more "firsts" for the Soviets in space.

See also

In Spanish: Programa Vostok para niños