Author Archives: P Hodkinson
This is the actual spacecraft that took Valentina Tereshkova into space. Inside, Tereshkova faced mortal danger. Soon after reaching orbit, she noticed that the spacecraft was misaligned. Ground control transmitted a new computer program to right the spacecraft. Without this … Continue reading
The three cosmonauts’ couches inside Voskhod were only fitted with difficulty, making the crew crane their necks to see the instrument panels. With no space for a means of escape to be fitted, a retrorocket slowed the spacecraft as it … Continue reading
Posted in YURI's DAY
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The Vostok spacecraft comprised a spherical cosmonaut cabin and a conical equipment module, with a collar of nitrogen and oxygen tanks surrounding their connection. Only the cabin returned to Earth. This model is finished in stainless steel, but the actual … Continue reading
Posted in Science Museum, Vostok Rocket design
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The ultimate goal of the Space Age was to see a man in a rocket, but a barrage of new technologies paved the way. Russia’s pioneering space sector, led by Chief Designer Sergei Korolev, followed the success of Sputnik 1 … Continue reading
Posted in Leika, Science Museum, Space dog, YURI's DAY
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Luna 9 performed the first ever soft landing on the Moon, in 1966. The lander was carefully designed to right itself upon landing, standing upright no matter what rocky surface it landed on. Four protective ‘leaves’ then unfolded, exposing the … Continue reading
Posted in Science Museum
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