Vostok 3

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  00363 / 1962 A-Mu1 / 62036A Launch date - time  11 Aug 1962 - 08:30 UT Launch site  Baikonur, LC1 Launch vehicle  Vostok 8K72K Payload  Vostok 3KA nº 5 Size (m)  4.3 long - 2.4 dia Mass (kg)  4 722 kg Flight Crew  Nikolayev, Andriyan (CDR) Call Sign  Sokol (Falcon) Backup crew  Bykovsky, Valeri  Volynov, Boris Earth orbit on Aug 11.5:    - Perigee / Apogee  166 x 218 km    - Eccentricity  0.004    - Inclination  64.98°    - Period  88.33 min Landing date - time (spacecraft)  15 Aug 1962 - 06:40 UT Landing date - time (cosmonaut)  15 Aug 1962 - 06:52 UT Landing location  200 km southeast of Karakalinsk, Karaganda region  48°2' N, 75°45' E Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  3d 22h 22min Nbr orbits  64 Distance (km)  2.64 million

Vostok 3-4 path

Flight Crew

Mission details:

Vostok 3K in ground trolley

Nikolayev before entering spacecraft

• Joint flight with Vostok 4. The flight was supposed to occur in March, but following various delays, one of the two Vostok pads was damaged in the explosion of the booster of the third Zenit-2 reconnsat in May. Vostok 3 studied man′s ability to function under conditions of weightlessness; conducted scientific observations; furthered improvement of space ship systems, communications, guidance and landing. The first of two Vostok ′joint flights′ where Vostok capsules were launched one day apart, coming within a few kilometers of each other at the orbital insertion of the second spacecraft. Since the Vostok had no maneuvering capability, they could not rendezvous or dock, and quickly drifted apart. However the launches did allow Korolev to offer something new and different, and gave the launch and ground control crews practice in launching and handling more than one manned spacecraft at a time.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Liepaja: Vostok 3 & 4.

Special cancel Moscou, signed by Nikolayev & Popovich.