Voskhod programme

The Soviet Union made space ships called Voskhod.

These ships were built from old parts. They were much heavier than before. Because they were heavy, they needed a big rocket.

Inside, the people sat in special seats. They had to turn their heads to see. One ship had a small room for walking outside. This helped them go for a walk in space.

Two dogs also flew on a long trip. They stayed in space for 22 days. The Voskhod program helped us learn a lot.

The Soviet Union ran the Voskhod programme. This was their second space project.

Engineers used parts from an older program. This helped them make the Voskhod spacecraft.

The ships were heavier than the older ones. They used a big rocket called the 11A57. Inside, the crew sat in couches. These couches were at a 90-degree angle. This meant the crew had to tilt their heads to see the controls.

Voskhod 2 was very special. It had an inflatable airlock. An airlock is a small room for moving between spaces. This allowed for the first EVA. An EVA is a spacewalk where a person walks outside the ship.

Two dogs also flew on a mission. They stayed in space for 22 days. This was a very long trip for them. The Voskhod program aimed for big firsts. It sent the first multi-man crew into orbit. Later, the Soyuz programme took over the work.

The Voskhod programme was a space project from the Soviet Union. It was the second project they ran for human spaceflight. This programme focused on achieving spectacular firsts in space. One big goal was to send more than one person into orbit. They also wanted to test things like spacewalks. Later, they planned to study how long-term weightlessness affects the body. Eventually, the Soyuz programme took over this work.

Engineers built the Voskhod spacecraft by using parts from the older Vostok programme. The new ships were much heavier than the old ones. Because of this, they used a special rocket called the 11A57. Inside, the crew sat on couches instead of in ejection seats. These couches sat at a 90-degree angle to the old positions. This meant the crew had to tilt their heads to see the controls. For Voskhod 2, they added an inflatable airlock to the outside.

Two main crewed missions flew during this programme. The first was Voskhod 1 on 12 October 1964. This mission carried Vladimir Komarov, Konstantin Feoktistov, and Boris Yegorov. It was the first spacecraft to carry a multi-man crew. The second mission was Voskhod 2 on 18 March 1965. This flight carried Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov. Leonov performed the very first EVA, which is a spacewalk.

There were also many test flights before the crewed ones. One uncrewed test was called Kosmos 47. Another test, Kosmos 57, was not successful. In 1966, two dogs named Veterok and Ugolyok flew on Kosmos 110. They stayed in space for 22 days. They launched on 22 February 1966 and landed on 16 March. These tests helped the designers understand how the hardware worked.

Many things changed during these years of space travel. The Voskhod 2 mission used a braking rocket to help the landing. This made the touchdown much softer for the crew. The spacecraft also had a backup retrorocket on top of the capsule. This was used if the main rocket failed to work. Even though the programme was cancelled, it paved the way for new ships. It helped scientists learn how to send people into the stars.

The Voskhod programme was the second human spaceflight project led by the Soviet Union. It served as a follow-on to the earlier Vostok programme. Engineers developed Voskhod by recycling components from the Vostok project. While Vostok focused on studying microgravity and the human body, Voskhod focused on achieving spectacular firsts. The programme aimed to put multiple people in orbit and perform the first extravehicular activity, or EVA. An EVA is a spacewalk where an astronaut leaves the spacecraft. This programme eventually ended when it was superseded by the Soyuz programme.

Designing the Voskhod spacecraft required significant changes to the existing Vostok design. The Voskhod capsule was much heavier than its predecessor. Because of this extra weight, engineers used the 11A57 launch vehicle. This rocket was a Molniya 8K78M with the Blok L stage removed. This booster later became the basis for the Soyuz booster. To fit more people, engineers removed the ejection seats. They replaced them with two or three crew couches. These couches were placed at a 90-degree angle to the original Vostok position. This change meant the crew had to crane their heads 90 degrees to see the instruments.

Technical modifications were necessary to support these new mission goals. For the Voskhod 2 mission, engineers added an inflatable exterior airlock to the descent module. This airlock was placed opposite the entry hatch and was jettisoned after use. The airlock was essential because the vehicle's avionics and environmental systems were air-cooled. Without the airlock, depressurization in orbit would cause the systems to overheat. Engineers also added a solid-fueled braking rocket to the parachute lines. This provided a softer landing during touchdown. This was important because the crew remained inside the module during landing. Unlike Vostok, the Voskhod had no launch abort system to escape a malfunctioning rocket.

Before the crewed flights, several uncrewed tests took place. The Kosmos 47 mission was an uncrewed test of the Voskhod hardware. The Kosmos 57 mission was also an uncrewed test, but it was unsuccessful. In 1966, the programme conducted a long mission with animals. Two dogs named Veterok and Ugolyok flew on the Kosmos 110 mission. They launched on 22 February 1966 and landed on 16 March. This mission lasted for 22 days. These flights helped test the hardware for longer durations in space.

The programme successfully completed two major crewed missions. Voskhod 1 launched on 12 October 1964. The mission lasted 1 day, 0 hours, 17 minutes, and 3 seconds. The crew included Vladimir Komarov, Konstantin Feoktistov, and Boris Yegorov. This was the first multi-man spacecraft in orbit. Voskhod 2 launched on 18 March 1965. This mission lasted 1 day, 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 17 seconds. The crew consisted of Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov. Leonov performed the first EVA, or spacewalk, during this flight.

Soviet planners had ambitious goals for the future of the programme. They planned several more missions to study long-term weightlessness. Voskhod 3 was intended to be a 19-day mission for two men. It would have used artificial gravity for medical and military experiments. Voskhod 4 was planned as a 20-day mission for a single person. Voskhod 5 was designed as a 10-day mission for two women. This would have included the first female EVA. Voskhod 6 was planned as a 15-day mission for two men. It would have tested a new EVA jet belt.

Despite these plans, the Voskhod programme was eventually abandoned. There were delays while preparing for the Voskhod 3 mission. During this time, the American Gemini programme achieved many of the same goals. A change in Soviet leadership also played a role. The new leadership was less interested in flights focused on prestige and stunts. This allowed Soviet designers to shift their focus to the Soyuz programme. This transition helped the Soviet Union concentrate on more advanced space technology.