Vostok 4

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  00365 / 1962 A-Nu1 / 62037A Launch date - time  12 Aug 1962 - 08:02:17 UT Launch site  Baikonur, LC31 Launch vehicle  Vostok 8K72K Payload  Vostok 3KA nº 6. Size (m)  4.3 long - 2.4 dia Mass (kg)  4 728 kg Flight Crew  Popovich, Pavel (CDR) Call Sign  Berkut (Golden Eagle ) Backup crew  Komarov, Vladimir  Volynov, Boris Earth orbit on Aug 12.4:    - Perigee / Apogee  165 x 222 km    - Eccentricity  0.004    - Inclination  64.95°    - Period  88.39 min Landing date - time (spacecraft)  15 Aug 1962 - 06:47 UT Landing date - time (cosmonaut)  15 Aug 1962 - 06:59 UT Landing location  193 km southwest of Karaganda  48°09' N, 71°51' E Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  2d 22h 57min Nbr orbits  48 Distance (km)  1.98 million

Vostok 3-4 path

Flight Crew

Mission details:

• Joint flight with Vostok 3. Acquisition of experimental data on the possibility of establishing a direct link between two space ships; coordination of astronauts′ operations; study of the effects of identical spaceflight conditions on the human organism. Popovich had problems with his life support system, resulting in the cabin temperature dropping to 10 degrees Centigrade and the humidity to 35%.
• Despite the conditions, Popovich felt able to go for the full four days scheduled. But before the mission, Popovich had been briefed to tell ground control that he was ′observing thunderstorms′ if he felt the motion sickness that had plagued Titov and needed to return on the next opportunity. Unfortunately he actually did report seeing thunderstorms over the Gulf of Mexico, and ground control took this as a request for an early return. He was ordered down a day early, landing within a few mintutes of Nikolayev. Only on the ground was it discovered that he was willing to go the full duration, and that ground control had thought he had given the code.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Liepaja: Vostok 3 & 4

Special cancel Moscou, signed by Nikolayev & Popovich.

Special red cancel Moscou: Vostok 3 & 4