The Vostok programme (russian: Восток, , ''
Orient
The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...
'' or ''East'') was a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
human spaceflight
Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, often with the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard human crew. Spacecraft can also be ...
project to put the first Soviet citizens into
low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never mor ...
and return them safely. Competing with the United States
Project Mercury
Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Un ...
, it succeeded in placing the first human into space,
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. Tr ...
, in a single orbit in
Vostok 1
Vostok 1 (russian: link=no, Восток, ''East'' or '' Orient'' 1) was the first spaceflight of the Vostok programme and the first human orbital spaceflight in history. The Vostok 3KA space capsule was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on Apr ...
on April 12, 1961. The
Vostok capsule was developed from the
Zenit spy satellite project, and
its launch vehicle was adapted from the existing
R-7 Semyorka
The R-7 Semyorka (russian: link=no, Р-7 Семёрка), officially the GRAU index 8K71, was a Soviet missile developed during the Cold War, and the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile. The R-7 made 28 launches between 1957 and 1 ...
intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...
(ICBM) design. The name "Vostok" was treated as
classified information
Classified information is material that a government body deems to be sensitive information that must be protected. Access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of people with the necessary security clearance and need to know, ...
until Gagarin's flight was first publicly disclosed to the world press.
The programme carried out six crewed spaceflights between 1961 and 1963. The longest flight lasted nearly five days, and the last four were launched in pairs, one day apart. This exceeded Project Mercury's demonstrated capabilities of a longest flight of just over 34 hours, and of single missions.
Vostok was succeeded by two
Voskhod programme
The Voskhod programme (russian: Восход, , ''Ascent'' or ''Dawn'') was the second Soviet human spaceflight project. Two one-day crewed missions were flown using the Voskhod spacecraft and rocket, one in 1964 and one in 1965, and two dogs fle ...
flights in 1964 and 1965, which used three- and two-man modifications of the Vostok capsule and a
larger launch rocket.
Background
The world's first artificial satellite,
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for t ...
, had been put into orbit by the Soviets in 1957. The next milestone in the history of space exploration would be to put a human in space, and both the Soviets and the Americans wanted to be the first.
Cosmonaut selection and training
By January 1959, the Soviets had begun preparations for human spaceflight.
[Siddiqi, p. 243] Physicians from the Soviet Air Force insisted that the potential cosmonaut candidates be qualified Air Force pilots, arguing that they would have relevant skills such as exposure to higher
g-force
The gravitational force equivalent, or, more commonly, g-force, is a measurement of the type of force per unit mass – typically acceleration – that causes a perception of weight, with a g-force of 1 g (not gram in mass measure ...
s, as well as
ejection seat
In aircraft, an ejection seat or ejector seat is a system designed to rescue the aircraft pilot, pilot or other aircrew, crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an ex ...
experience; also the Americans had chosen the
Mercury Seven
The Mercury Seven were the group of seven astronauts selected to fly spacecraft for Project Mercury. They are also referred to as the Original Seven and Astronaut Group 1. Their names were publicly announced by NASA on April 9, 1959; these seve ...
in April 1959, all of whom had aviation backgrounds.
[ The candidates had to be intelligent, comfortable in high-stress situations, and physically fit.][Siddiqi, p. 247]
Chief designer of the Soviet space program, Sergei Korolev
Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (russian: Сергей Павлович Королёв, Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov, sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ kərɐˈlʲɵf, Ru-Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.ogg; ukr, Сергій Павлович Корольов, ...
, decided that the cosmonauts must be male, between 25 and 30 years old, no taller than 1.75 meters, and weigh no more than 72 kilograms.[Siddiqi, p. 244] The final specifications for cosmonauts were approved in June 1959. By September interviews with potential cosmonauts had begun. Although the pilots were not told they might be flying into space, one of the physicians in charge of the selection process believed that some pilots had deduced this.[ Just over 200 candidates made it through the interview process, and by October a series of demanding physical tests were conducted on those remaining, such as exposure to low pressures, and a centrifuge test.][Siddiqi, p. 245] By the end of 1959, 20 men had been selected. Korolev insisted on having a larger group than NASA's astronaut team of seven.[ Of these 20, five were outside the desired age range; hence, the age requirement was relaxed. Unlike NASA's astronaut group, this group did not particularly consist of experienced pilots; Belyayev was the most experienced with 900 flying hours. The Soviet spacecraft were more automated than the American counterparts, so significant piloting experience was not necessary.][Siddiqi, p.246]
On January 11, 1960, Soviet Chief Marshal of Aviation
Chief marshal of the branch (russian: Главный маршал рода войск, Glavny marshal roda voysk) was a senior military rank of the Soviet Armed Forces. It was immediately above the rank of Marshal of the branch. Both ranks were ...
Konstantin Vershinin approved plans to establish the Cosmonaut Training Center, whose exclusive purpose would be to prepare the cosmonauts for their upcoming flights; initially the facility would have about 250 staff.[ Vershinin assigned the already famous aviator ]Nikolai Kamanin
Nikolai Petrovich Kamanin (russian: Никола́й Петро́вич Кама́нин; 18 October 1908 – 11 March 1982) was a Soviet aviator, awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1934 for the rescue of SS ''Chelyuskin'' crew fro ...
to supervise operations at the facility. By March, most of the cosmonauts had arrived at the training facility; Vershinin gave a welcome speech on March 7, and those who were present were formally inducted into the cosmonaut group.[ By mid-June all twenty were permanently stationed at the center. In March the cosmonauts were started on a daily fitness regime, and were taught classes on topics such as rocket space systems, navigation, geophysics, and astronomy.
Owing to the initial facility's space limitations, the cosmonauts and staff were relocated to a new facility in Star City (then known as ''Zelenyy''), which has been the home of Russia's cosmonaut training program for over 60 years. The move officially took place on June 29, 1960.][Siddiqi, p.248]
Vanguard Six
At the Gromov Flight Research Institute
The Gromov Flight Research Institute or GFRI for short (russian: link=no, Лётно-исследовательский институт имени М. М. Громова, russian: link=no, ЛИИ) is an important Russian State Researc ...
, a spacecraft simulator had been built, called the ''TDK-1''. Owing to the inefficiency of training all 20 cosmonauts in the simulator, it was decided they would select six men who would go through accelerated training.[Siddiqi, p.249] This group, which would be known as ''The Vanguard Six'', was decided on May 30, 1960, and initially consisted of Gagarin, Kartashov, Nikolayev, Popovich, Titov, and Varlamov.[ Alexei Leonov recalls that these six were the shortest of the group of 20.
In July, shortly after relocation to Star City, two of the six were replaced on medical grounds. Firstly, during a centrifuge test of 8 ''g'', Kartashov experienced some internal damage, causing minor ]hemorrhaging
Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...
on his back. Despite Gagarin's requests for him to stay, the doctors decided to remove Kartashov from the group of six. Later in July, Varlamov was involved in a swimming accident. During a dive into a lake near the training center, he hit his head on the bottom, displacing a cervical vertebra
In tetrapods, cervical vertebrae (singular: vertebra) are the vertebrae of the neck, immediately below the skull. Truncal vertebrae (divided into thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in mammals) lie caudal (toward the tail) of cervical vertebrae. In sau ...
. So by the end of July, the Vanguard Six were: Gagarin, Bykovskiy, Nelyubov, Nikolayev, Popovich, and Titov.
By January 1961, these six had all finished parachute and recovery training, as well as three-day regimes in simulators.[Siddiqi, p.261] On January 17, the six participated in their final exams, including time spent in a simulator, and a written test. Based on these results, a commission, supervised by Kamanin, recommended the use of the cosmonauts in the following order: Gagarin, Titov, Nelyubov, Nikolayev, Bykovskiy, Popovich.[ At this stage Gagarin was the clear favorite to be the first man in space, not only based on the exams, but also among an informal peer evaluation.][Siddiqi, p.262]
Missions
Vostok 1
Vostok 1 (russian: link=no, Восток, ''East'' or '' Orient'' 1) was the first spaceflight of the Vostok programme and the first human orbital spaceflight in history. The Vostok 3KA space capsule was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on Apr ...
, the first human spaceflight in April 1961, was preceded by several preparatory flights. In mid-1960, the Soviets learned that the Americans could launch a sub-orbital
A sub-orbital spaceflight is a spaceflight in which the spacecraft reaches outer space, but its trajectory intersects the atmosphere or surface of the gravitating body from which it was launched, so that it will not complete one orbital re ...
human spaceflight as early as January 1961. Korolev saw this as an important deadline, and was determined to launch a crewed orbital mission before the Americans launched their human suborbital mission. By April 1960, designers at Sergei Korolev
Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (russian: Сергей Павлович Королёв, Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov, sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ kərɐˈlʲɵf, Ru-Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.ogg; ukr, Сергій Павлович Корольов, ...
's design bureau, then known as ''OKB-1'', had completed a draft plan for the first Vostok spacecraft, called ''Vostok 1K''. This design would be used for testing purposes; also in their plan was ''Vostok 2K'', a spy satellite that would later become known as Zenit 2, and ''Vostok 3K'', which would be used for all six crewed Vostok missions.
Despite the very large geographical size of the Soviet Union, there were obvious limitations to monitoring orbital spaceflights from ground stations within the country. To remedy this, the Soviets stationed about seven naval vessels, or tracking ships, around the world.[Siddiqi, p.263] For each ground station or tracking ship, the duration of communications with an orbiting spacecraft was limited to between five and ten minutes.[
]
Korabl-Sputnik 1
The first ''Vostok'' spacecraft was a variant not designed to be recovered from orbit; the variant was also called ''Vostok 1KP'' (or ''1P'').[Siddiqi, p.251] At Korolev's suggestion, the media would call the spacecraft ''Korabl-Sputnik'', ("Satellite-ship"); the name ''Vostok'' was still a secret codename at this point.[ This first Vostok spacecraft was successfully sent into orbit on May 15, 1960.][ Owing to a system malfunction, on the spacecraft's 64th orbit the thrusters fired and sent it into an even higher orbit. The orbit eventually decayed, and it re-entered the atmosphere several years later.][Siddiqi, p.252]
Vostok 1K
The next six launches were all of the ''Vostok 1K'' design, equipped with life-support facilities, and planned to be recovered after orbit. The first spacecraft launched on July 28, 1960 carried two space dogs named Chayka and Lisichka. An explosion destroyed the spacecraft shortly after launch, killing both dogs, and the mission was not given a name.[ The next mission, designated ]Korabl-Sputnik 2
Korabl-Sputnik 2 (russian: Корабль-Спутник 2, lit=Ship-Satellite 2), also known as Sputnik 5 in the West, was a Soviet Union, Soviet artificial satellite, and the third test flight of the Vostok spacecraft. It was the first space ...
, was launched on August 19, 1960, carrying two more dogs, Belka and Strelka
Belka (Белка, literally, "squirrel", or alternatively "Whitey") and Strelka (Стрелка, "little arrow") spent a day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2 (Sputnik 5) on 19 August 1960 before safely returning to Earth. They are the first hig ...
, as well as a variety of other biological specimens such as mice, insects, and strips of human skin.[Siddiqi, p.253] This mission was successful, and Belka and Strelka became the first living beings recovered from orbit.[ The spacecraft was only the second object ever to have been recovered from orbit, the first being the return capsule of the American Discoverer 13 the previous week. During the mission there was some concern for Belka and Strelka's health, after images of Belka vomiting had been obtained from the onboard cameras.][ The spacecraft and dogs were recovered following the 26-hour spaceflight, and extensive physiological tests revealed that the dogs were in good health.][Siddiqi, p.254] This represented a significant success for the Vostok programme.[
The success of Korabl-Sputnik 2 gave the designers confidence to put forward a plan leading to a human spaceflight. A document regarding a plan for the Vostok programme, dated September 10, 1960, and declassified in 1991, was sent to the ]Central Committee of the Communist Party
Central committee is the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, of both ruling and nonruling parties of former and existing socialist states. In such party organizations, the ...
, and approved by Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
.[ This document had been signed by the top leaders in the Soviet defence industry at the time, the most senior being ]Deputy Chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
Dmitriy Ustinov
Dmitriy Fyodorovich Ustinov (russian: Дмитрий Фёдорович Устинов; 30 October 1908 – 20 December 1984) was a Marshal of the Soviet Union and Soviet politician during the Cold War. He served as a Central Committee sec ...
; this indicated the elevated importance of the document.[ The plan called for one or two more ''Vostok 1K'' flights, followed by two uncrewed ''Vostok 3K'' flights, followed by a crewed flight in December 1960.][Siddiqi, p.255]
A major setback occurred on October 24, when a rocket explosion killed over 100 people, including Chief Marshal
Chief marshal of the branch (russian: Главный маршал рода войск, Glavny marshal roda voysk) was a senior military rank of the Soviet Armed Forces. It was immediately above the rank of Marshal of the branch. Both ranks were ...
of Artillery Mitrofan Nedelin
Mitrofan Ivanovich Nedelin (russian: Митрофа́н Ива́нович Неде́лин; – 24 October 1960) was a Soviet military commander who served as Chief Marshal of the Artillery in the Soviet Armed Forces. A long-time member of th ...
, in what is now called the Nedelin catastrophe
The Nedelin catastrophe or Nedelin disaster was a launch pad accident that occurred on 24 October 1960 at Baikonur test range (of which Baikonur Cosmodrome is a part), during the development of the Soviet R-16 (missile), R-16 Intercontinental ...
. This was one of the worst disasters in the history of spaceflight. It involved a rocket that was not designed by Korolev, and was not necessary for the Vostok programme; the rocket was by rival designer Mikhail Yangel
Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel (russian: Михаил Кузьмич Янгель; 7 November 1911 – 25 October 1971), was a Soviet engineer born in Irkutsk who was the leading designer in the missile program of the former Soviet Union.
Biography ...
, intended to be a new generation of intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...
s.[Siddiqi, p.256-258] It would be two weeks before work on the Vostok programme continued, and it was realised that the original target of a December crewed launch was unrealistic.[
On December 1, 1960, the next ''Vostok 1K'' spacecraft, called ]Korabl-Sputnik 3
Korabl-Sputnik 3 (russian: Корабль-Спутник 3 meaning ''Ship-Satellite 3'') or Vostok-1K No.3, also known as Sputnik 6 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft which was launched in 1960. It was a test flight of the Vostok spacecraft, carr ...
by the press, was launched. It carried the two dogs Pchyolka and Mushka. After about 24 hours, the engines were intended to fire to begin re-entry, but they fired for less time than had been expected. This meant that the spacecraft would enter the atmosphere, but not over Soviet territory. For this reason the self-destruct system was activated, and the spacecraft and the two dogs were destroyed.[Siddiqi, p.259] At the time, the press reported that an incorrect altitude caused the cabin to be destroyed upon re-entry.[
The next ''Vostok 1K'' spacecraft was launched on December 22, 1960, but it was unnamed because it failed to reach orbit. It carried two dogs, named Kometa and Shutka. The third stage of the launch system malfunctioned, and the emergency escape system was activated. The spacecraft landed 3,500 kilometres downrange of the launch site. The resulting rescue operation took several days, in -40 ]°C
The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius scale (originally known as the centigrade scale outside Sweden), one of two temperature scales used in the International System of Units (SI), the other being the Kelvin scale. The ...
conditions. After a few days, the dogs were both recovered alive, and the spacecraft was returned to Moscow a few weeks later. Despite Korolev's desire to announce this failure to the press, the State Commission vetoed the idea.
Vostok 3KA
The two uncrewed missions immediately preceding the first human flight used the same spacecraft design as in the crewed missions, a design called ''Vostok 3KA'' (or ''3A''). The only differences were that they would carry a single dog into orbit, a life-size mannequin
A mannequin (also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off different fabrics and textiles. Pr ...
would be strapped into the main ejection seat, and (unlike the crewed missions) they had a self-destruct system.[Siddiqi, p. 264] The recent failures of Vostok 1K were not encouraging, but it was decided to proceed with launches of an automated variant of ''Vostok 3KA'', the spacecraft design that would conduct a human spaceflight. The approval of a crewed mission was contingent upon the success of the two automated ''Vostok 3KA'' missions. Unlike the previous ''Vostok 1K'' flights, the two uncrewed ''Vostok 3KA'' flights were planned to last only a single orbit, to imitate the plan for the first human flight.
The first of these uncrewed flights, Korabl-Sputnik 4
Korabl-Sputnik 4 (russian: Корабль-Спутник 4 meaning ''Ship-Satellite 4'') or Vostok-3KA No.1, also known as Sputnik 9 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft which was launched on 9 March 1961. Carrying the mannequin Ivan Ivanovich, ...
, was launched on March 9, 1961. It carried the dog Chernushka into orbit, as well as a mannequin called Ivan Ivanovich, who wore a functioning SK-1 spacesuit
SK-1 is an initialism of "Skafandr Kosmicheskiy" # 1 (Скафандр Космический = "diving suit for space") is a spacesuit that was developed specially for Yuri Gagarin. As such, it is the first spacesuit ever used. After his succes ...
.[Siddiqi, p. 265] The dog was contained in a small pressurized sphere, which also contained 80 mice, several guinea pig
The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ani ...
s, and other biological specimens.[ Additional mice, guinea pigs, and other specimens were placed within the mannequin.][ After one orbit, the descent module successfully re-entered the atmosphere, the mannequin was safely ejected, and the dog and other specimens landed separately in the descent module by parachute.][Siddiqi, p. 266] The spaceflight lasted 106 minutes, and the dog was recovered alive after landing. The mission was a complete success.[
On March 23, before the next mission, an accident occurred during training which led to the death of cosmonaut candidate ]Valentin Bondarenko
Valentin Vasylovych Bondarenko ( uk, Валентин Васильович Бондаренко, russian: Валентин Васильевич Бондаренко; 16 February 1937 – 23 March 1961) was a Soviet fighter pilot selected in 1960 ...
. He was burned in a fire in an oxygen-rich isolation chamber, and died in a hospital eight hours after the incident.[ Bondarenko's death was the first known cosmonaut or astronaut fatality. It is not clear whether other cosmonauts were told of his death immediately;][ the media did not learn of Bondarenko's death – or even of his existence – until many years later, in 1986.][Burgess and Hall, p. 130] Unsubstantiated reports of other cosmonaut deaths created the myth of the lost cosmonaut.
The next uncrewed flight, Korabl-Sputnik 5
Korabl-Sputnik 5 (russian: Корабль-Спутник 5 meaning ''Ship-Satellite 5'') or Vostok-3KA No.2, also known as Sputnik 10 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft which was launched in 1961, as part of the Vostok programme. It was the last ...
, was launched on March 25, two days after Bondarenko's death. Like the previous ''Vostok 3KA'' flight, it lasted for only a single orbit, carried a mannequin and a dog, Zvezdochka
Zvyozdochka (russian: Звёздочка) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
*Zvyozdochka, Sakha Republic, an urban-type settlement in Ust-Maysky District of the Sakha Republic
;Rural localities
* Zvyozdoc ...
("Starlet",[Siddiqi, p267] or "Little star"). This mission was also a complete success, which was the final step required to get approval for a crewed mission. The re-entry module of the Korabl-Sputnik 5 spacecraft, also called ''Vostok 3KA-2'', was auctioned at Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...
on April 12, 2011, the 50th anniversary of the first human spaceflight, Vostok 1
Vostok 1 (russian: link=no, Восток, ''East'' or '' Orient'' 1) was the first spaceflight of the Vostok programme and the first human orbital spaceflight in history. The Vostok 3KA space capsule was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on Apr ...
. Evgeny Yurchenko, a Russian investment banker, paid $2,882,500 for the capsule.
Crewed flights
Cancelled missions
One different (1963) and seven original (going through to April 1966) Vostok flights were originally planned:
*Vostok 6A - pair to Vostok 5
Vostok 5 (russian: Восток-5, ''Orient 5'' or ''East 5'') was a joint mission of the Soviet space program together with Vostok 6; as with the previous pair of Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 the two Vostok spacecraft came close to one another in orbit a ...
group flight with female cosmonaut instead fulfilled Vostok 6
Vostok 6 (russian: Восток-6, ''Orient 6'' or ''East 6'') was the first human spaceflight to carry a woman, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, into space.
Mission
The spacecraft was launched on 16 June 1963. While Vostok 5 had been delayed by t ...
fligh
*Vostok 7 - 8-days high-altitude flight for radiological-biological studies with natural re-entry from orbi
*Vostok 8 - pair to Vostok 9 10-days group high-altitude flight for extended scientific studies with natural re-entry from orbi
*Vostok 9 - pair to Vostok 8 10-days group high-altitude flight for extended scientific studies with natural re-entry from orbi
*Vostok 10 - 10-days high-altitude flight for extended scientific studies with natural re-entry from orbi
*Vostok 11 - supplemental flight for extra-vehicular activity test
*Vostok 12 - supplemental flight for extra-vehicular activity test
*Vostok 13 - 10-days high-altitude flight for extended scientific studies with natural re-entry from orbi
All these original missions were cancelled in early 1964 and the components recycled into the Voskhod programme
The Voskhod programme (russian: Восход, , ''Ascent'' or ''Dawn'') was the second Soviet human spaceflight project. Two one-day crewed missions were flown using the Voskhod spacecraft and rocket, one in 1964 and one in 1965, and two dogs fle ...
, which was intended to achieve more Soviet firsts in space.
Notes
References
* SP-2000-4408
Part 1 (page 1-500)
Part 2 (page 501-1011)
*
*
External links
Korabl & Vostok Diary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vostok Programme
Human spaceflight programs