The Voskhod programme (Russian: Восход, translated as "dawn", "ascent") was a Soviet human spaceflight project. Voskhod development was both a follow-on to the Vostok programme, and a recycling of components left over from that programme's cancellation following its first six flights. The two missions flown used the Voskhod spacecraft and rocket.
Design
Vostok, Voskhod 1 and 2 crew seating
The Voskhod flights were, in retrospect, merely aimed at making Soviet "firsts" in space exploration. While these missions were the goal of the Politburo's influence on the efforts of the Soviet space programme, they were achieved by significantly reducing safety and reliability. The Voskhod spacecraft was basically a Vostok spacecraft that had a backup, solid fuel retrorocket added to the top of the descent module. The heavier weight of the craft was made possible by improvements to the R-7 Semyorka derived booster. The ejection seat was removed and two or three crew couches were added to the interior at a 90-degree angle to that of the Vostok crew position. However the position of the in-flight controls was not changed, so the crew had to crane their heads 90 degrees to see the instruments. In the case of Voskhod 2, an inflatable exterior airlock was also added to the descent module opposite the entry hatch. After use, the airlock was jettisoned. There was no provision for crew escape in the event of a launch or landing emergency. A solid fuel braking rocket was also added to the parachute lines to provide for a softer landing at touchdown. This was necessary because, unlike the Vostok, the Voskhod descent module landed with the crew still inside.
Flights
The Voskhod flights, with their dates of launch, were:
Unmanned
- Cosmos 47 - Unmanned test flight of the Voskhod hardware.
- Cosmos 57 - Unmanned test flight, unsuccessful.
- Cosmos 110 - Unmanned, sent two dogs, Veterok and Ugolyok, on 22-day flight, launched 22 February 1966.
Manned
Cancelled
- Voskhod 3 - 19 day mission to study long-term weightlessness
- Voskhod 4 - 20 day mission to study long-term weightlessness
- Voskhod 5 - 10 day all-female crew
- Voskhod 6 - Flight to test new EVA jet belt
Results
While the Vostok program was dedicated more towards understanding the effects of space travel and microgravity on the human body, Voskhod's two flights were more aimed towards spectacular "firsts". Although achieving the first EVA ("spacewalk") became the main success of the program, beating the U.S. Gemini program to put the first multi-person crew in orbit was the objective that initially motivated the program. Once both goals were realised, the program was abandoned. This followed the change in Soviet leadership, which was less concerned about stunt and prestige flights, and allowed the Soviet designers to concentrate on the Soyuz program.
External links
