Soviet space explorers

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In the last century, during the Cold War and the technological race, the USSR ushered in the space age. The country managed to achieve colossal successes in space exploration, despite the fact that it continued to restore the national economy destroyed by the war.

In the period from 1957 to 1966, more than 180 space objects were launched, the first cosmonaut was sent into space, the first manned space walk was carried out, the study of the Moon, Mars and Venus was started, and a number of fundamental discoveries were made. To remember how space conquered, we go to the Cosmonautics Museum at VDNKh in Moscow.

The space age was discovered by the USSR on October 4, 1957, when the world's first artificial Earth satellite was launched. Layout 1: 1.

He spent three months in space, making about 1400 revolutions around the Earth.

Liquid-propellant rocket engine RD-114 (1952-1957) for the first stage of the Cosmos launch vehicle. Fuel: oxidizer-mixture of nitrogen oxides with nitric acid; fuel is a product of kerosene processing

Ejection container for experimental animals. It functions on the principle of an ejection seat. In August 1960, Belka and Strelka returned to the ground in this capsule alive.

Arrow.

Squirrel.

Simple mongrels from the street were sent into outer space, since they were the most hardy in comparison with the domestic ones. Such flights were intended to test whether future astronauts can survive after the flight. Before Belka and Strelka, three more dogs were sent into space: Laika in 1957, Fox and Chaika in July 1960. All three died.

On April 12, 1961, Senior Lieutenant Yuri Gagarin (call sign: Kedr) made the world's first flight into space on the Vostok spacecraft. After 108 minutes in space and one complete revolution around the planet, Major Yuri Gagarin landed safely on Earth.

The 27-year-old has become a hero. And who are the heroes and idols of youth now? 1961

Spaceship "Vostok" (on a scale of 1: 3), on which Gagarin carried out the world's first flight into space. It consisted of a descent vehicle and an instrument compartment with a propulsion system.

This table was used to train cosmonauts.

Gagarin's awards.

Another achievement in astronautics - on June 16, 1963, the world's first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, flew into space. And here we are ahead of the whole world. She is now 76 years old.

It is worth mentioning the name of Sergei Korolev, who was the creator of the Soviet rocket and space technology.

The next achievement - in March 1965, together with Pavel Belyaev, Alexey Leonov flew into space on the Voskhod-2 spacecraft. During the flight, Leonov made the first spacewalk (12 minutes 9 seconds). He is now 79 years old.

Leonov dreamed of becoming an artist, but became an astronaut. Leonov A. A. "Over the Black Sea", 1974

Spacesuit "Berkut" was intended for spacewalk. Used by Belyaev and Leonov in 1965. The weight of the spacesuit without a knapsack is 20 kg.

Lunokhod-1 is the world's first automatic self-propelled vehicle. Delivered to the moon in November 1970. For 318 days, he traveled more than 10 kilometers, studying the lunar surface. Layout 1: 1.

Globe of the Moon.

The automatic station "Luna-1" is the first spacecraft in the world to develop the second space velocity. The device was launched in 1959 and was supposed to reach the lunar surface. Didn't reach.

Orbital station "Mir", which served 5500 days in orbit (15 years: from 1986 to 2001).

Something like this looks like a bedroom at an altitude of several hundred kilometers from the Earth.

Food on board the Mir.

Looking towards the sun in space will severely burn your face. To avoid this, spacesuit lenses are manufactured using gold.

Aircraft laboratory IL-76. In it, astronauts practice various operations under conditions of short-term weightlessness during 25-30 minute modes.

Do you know who our astronauts are now?

More photos from the museum:

Museum of Cosmonautics at VDNKh. Located under the Monument to the Conquerors of Space (photo taken from the Ostankino TV tower).