In zero gravity: Main Archive reveals details of the first multiple spacecraft flight

The event that took place on August 11-15, 1962 was one of the milestones of space navigation: the first multi-vessel flight of Soviet Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 spacecraft that lasted for four days. Pilots were Soviet Air Force Group 1 officers Andriyan Nikolayev (callsign Sokol) and Pavel Popovich (callsign Berkut). Moscow Main Archive still keeps documents related to that flight and photographs of jubilant people celebrating the new space heroes at a rally.

The official resolution to start development of the Vostok spacecraft series for manned orbital space flight was made in May 22, 1959. The lead designer was Oleg Ivanovsky, overseen personally by Chief Designer of Special Design Bureau No.1, Sergei Korolev.

Vostok 3 carrying Andriyan Nikolayev took off from Baikonur on August 11, 1962. On August 12, Vostok 4 followed, piloted by Pavel Popovich. Their objectives were to determine the ability of the human body to function in conditions of zero gravity, observe similarities and differences in the cosmonauts’ individual adaptation to the flight conditions, test the ground control capability to launch and manage two separate, concurrent flights, and test the endurance of the Vostok spacecraft modernized for longer flights.

For the first time in history, a TV feed was broadcast from space. After takeoff, the cosmonauts established radio links to each other and to ground control. The video feed was transmitted to Earth over the USSR and Intervision (international television organization of Socialist countries established in 1960) TV networks. It wasn’t possible for the cosmonauts to stay in their seats continuously during the long flights, so Andriyan Nikolayev and soon Pavel Popovich as well unfastened themselves and stayed in zero gravity without space suits for one hour a day. The pilots oriented their spacecraft in space by hand.

They conducted medical, biological and engineering experiments during their journey. Biometric sensors transmitted the data on their physical and emotional state to Earth. The spacecraft did not have technical capabilities to maneuver or achieve rendezvous despite being on very similar orbits and within visual range of each other at times. Nevertheless, the mission was the first step toward finding a solution to the problem of spacecraft rendezvous.

Piloting Vostok 3, Andriyan Nikolayev circled Earth 64 times setting a new record for space flight duration: three days, 22 hours, 22 minutes; Pavel Popovich piloting Vostok 4 circled Earth 48 times staying on orbit for two days, 22 hours, 44 minutes. Their capsules landed on August 15, 1962 in Karaganda region.

Astronauts from the US were able to do something similar only a few years later, in December 1965, on Gemini 7 and Gemini 6A spacecraft.

By Decrees issued by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on August 18, 1962, Andriyan Nikolayev and Pavel Popovich were awarded titles of Heroes of the Soviet Union for their outstanding contribution to aviation development and space exploration, as well as gold medals of World Air Sports Federation (FAI).

The rest of the life of Andriyan Nikolayev, Major General of Aviation, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, was entirely dedicated to space. In 1963-1968 he was the team leader of the Soviet cosmonaut corps. During his second space flight on Soyuz 9 in 1970, Nikolayev again became the one who stayed in outer space the longest. Pavel Popovich, Major General of Aviation and twice Hero of the Soviet Union, made his second space flight on Soyuz 14 in July 1974. The flight lasted 15 days and Mr. Popovich was the captain.