Scrapbook 2: Aug 1962 — Vostok 3, Andriyan Nikolayev

RUSSIA sent her third spaceman into orbit at 8.30 a.m. (G.M.T.) yesterday. Communist sources in Moscow estimate that the spaceship will be up for 2½ to three days, which will mean between 30 and 50 orbits. The astronaut, Major Andrian Nikolayev, 32, a former lumberjack, guided the spaceship during part of yesterday’s flight and at 7 p.m. went to sleep “according to planned schedule.”

Russia yesterday asked the United States to refrain from holding high altitude nuclear tests that might endanger the spaceman’s safety. The State Department in Washington last night said they wished Major Nikolayev well and they contemplated no activities that would interfere with him.

Fifteen minutes after take-off Major Nikolayev radioed back to base: “Everything is normal aboard. The earth is clearly visible through the porthole.” Moscow Radio estimated at 7 p.m. that Major Nikolayev had completed more than seven orbits and travelled 186,059 miles. His speed was 18,000 miles an hour.

The astronaut’s voice was picked up by the Jodrell Bank radio astronomy station as the spaceship, Vostock 3, was on its second orbit, and a message on its fourth.

Moscow reports said the spaceman was successfully completing the programme of experiments and feeling fine. He ate three times yesterday, including one meal of “natural” food. Previous spacemen, Russian and American, have had their food from tubes.

Complete surprise

The launching came as a complete surprise and without the inspired leaks that preceded early Soviet space flights. It is just over a year since Major Gherman Titov went into space for 17 orbits, lasting a little over a day.

According to corrected data released in Moscow, at 4 p.m. the spaceship was orbiting the earth at 88.32min. a full circle as compared with 88.5min. at the early part of the flight.

Its perigee had changed from the initial 114.37 miles to 112.5 miles and the apogee to 146.25 miles as compared with 156.87 miles.

Major Nikolayev’s orbit time means that his spaceship is bound to re-enter the atmosphere within a few days.

But no manned spacecraft has so far had a lower altitude as high as 114 miles, and he could well stay up for longer than Titov.

No one has been in space for anything like the time that Titov was. Major Gagarin, his predecessor by four months, made only one orbit. The two Americans, who both orbited this year, were each in space for less than five hours.

There has so far been no information about the weight of the spaceship. Gagarin and Titov orbited in spaceships of about 4½ tons, but the Russians have also failed to publish the weight of their recent “Cosmos” series of research satellites.

Had the United States made a high-altitude nuclear test the sudden liberation of radiation on an orbiting spaceman might have been dangerous. The last high American test was at 200 miles, or rather higher than Major Nikolayev, and the next is likely to be higher still.

Complex tasks

The official Russian news agency said last night: “Flying over various parts of the globe Major Nikolayev transmitted greetings to the peoples of our motherland and of the Socialist countries, as well as to the peoples of Africa, Latin America and the United States.

“In the 10½ hours of his stay in space, pilot cosmonaut Nikolayev fulfilled complex tasks. He systematically checked the state of the systems and units of the ship, carried out corrections and adjustments.

“On instructions from the earth, carried out visual observations through the cabin portholes. The cosmonaut clearly saw islands, rivers, lakes and settlements.”

In accordance with the flight programme, Nikolayev twice switched over to manual control of the ship. At this, the orientation of the ship was effected normally.

Moved around

“To study workability in conditions of weightlessness the cosmonaut left his seat and moved around in the cabin. According to Major Nikolayev’s reports, workability is preserved.”

A simple aerial, not the huge telescope itself, at Jodrell Bank picked up the voice of Major Nikolayev. Contact was made with the spacecraft only a few minutes after the frequency waveband on which its transmitter is operating (20.006 and 143.625 megacycles) was received.

A message from Major Nikolayev, picked up at Jodrell Bank at 2.30 p.m. (GMT), when the spacesship was on its fourth orbit, was translated by two Russian students there. It said: “All is going according to schedule, I am well.”

One of the students said the spaceman identified himself as “Sokol,” which meant “Falcon.” The students were going to a cricket match, but agreed to help with translation of messages.

Sir Bernard Lovell said that the significance of this new successful Soviet flight will only become apparent when the duration of the flight is known. “If, as seems likely, the flight should last several days, then this would represent a rapid stride in the Russian attempt to get a man on the moon.”

Sir Bernard Lovell said later that the Russians would have the option every morning either of bringing him back to earth or allowing him to continue circling. The choice was every morning because Soviet territory would then be in a suitable position, relative to the orbit, for his return.

The timetable of events for the space flight is as follows (all times G.M.T.).

8.30 a.m.—Vostok 3 launched.

8.47 a.m.—Japan picks up signals from Vostok 3.

10.08 a.m.—Tass reports that television pictures of the spaceman confirm he is feeling well. Nikolayev sends greetings to the Russian people from his spaceship.

11.19 a.m.—In London a voice is heard on the right frequencies saying: “Everything normal . . . feeling excellent . . . Equipment working well.”

11.30 a.m.—Jodrell Bank reports picking up voice faintly.

12.05 p.m.—Tass reports flight continuing normally. All instruments and devices on board working accurately.

U.S. picks up message

From Our Own Correspondent NEW YORK, Saturday.

The Ohio research centre tracking station at Cleveland said this afternoon it had recorded a two-minute broadcast from Major Nikolayev as his spaceship made its sixth orbit over the horizon north-east of Cleveland at 1.23 p.m. local time. The voice came through loud and clear.

Part of what the astronaut said was: “Soviet Union cosmonaut Nikolayev, sitting in Soviet Union ship Yostok Three, and am extending my regards to the Soviet Union people and the American people.”

5 space flights compared

WASHINGTON, Saturday.

The United States has not yet received Russia’s request to refrain from further nuclear tests which might endanger Major Nikolayev.

A State Department spokesman said tonight: “We wish Major Nikolayev a safe flight and happy landing. The United States of course contemplates no activities that would interfere with him in any way.”

News of the Russian request came at a time when the American Space Administration was trying to determine what effect the Russian test series might have on the forthcoming attempt to put Cdr. Walter Schirra, 39, into orbit.