NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Vostok 4

Launch Time
Sun Aug 12, 1962 08:02 UTC

First time that two crewed vessels are in space at the same time (Vostok 3). First close passage between two vessels (less than 5km). First time that a cosmonaut on mission sees an artificial satellite from space (Vostok 3). First communications between two vessels (Vostok 3).

Rocket

Vostok
RVSN USSR
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 4,570 kN
Payload to LEO: 4,730 kg
Payload to GTO: 0 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 4
Rocket Height: 38.36 m
Fairing Diameter: 2.58 m
Fairing Height: 6.74 m

Mission Details

Vostok 4

Vostok 4 was a mission in the Soviet space program. It was launched in August 1962, a day after Vostok 3 with cosmonaut Pavel Popovich on board—the first time that more than one crewed spacecraft were in orbit at the same time. The two Vostok capsules came within 6.5 km of one another and ship-to-ship radio contact was established.

The cosmonauts of Vostok 3 and 4 did not attempt rendezvous. At one point the craft came within a few kilometers of each other and Popovich later reported at a news conference that he saw the other craft from orbit. Popovich is quoted as saying, "I saw it at once," referring to seeing Vostok 3 in orbit. "It looked like a very small moon in the distance."

The Vostok 3 and 4 spacecraft landed about 200 km apart, south of Karaganda, Kazakhstan.

The mission went largely as planned, despite a malfunction with the Vostok's life-support systems that caused cabin temperature to drop to 10 °C. The flight was terminated early after a misunderstanding by ground control, who believed that Popovich had given them a codeword asking to be brought back ahead of schedule.

The re-entry capsule is now on display at the NPO Zvezda Museum in Moscow, but it has been modified to represent the Voskhod 2 capsule.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 4,728.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

Location

Site 1/5, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Stats

1962

44th orbital launch attempt

Vostok

22nd mission
3rd mission of 1962
12th successful mission
3rd consecutive successful mission