# Vostok 3
**Wikidata**: [Q637048](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q637048)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vostok_3)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/vostok-3

## Summary
Vostok 3 was a Soviet crewed spaceflight launched on August 11, 1962, as part of the Vostok programme. Piloted by cosmonaut Andriyan Nikolayev, the mission orbited Earth 64 times over a duration of nearly four days. The spacecraft, a Vostok-class vehicle launched via a Vostok-K rocket, set endurance records for the time and was succeeded the next day by Vostok 4, marking the first instance of two crewed spacecraft operating simultaneously in orbit.

## Key Facts
- **Launch Date:** August 11, 1962
- **Landing Date:** August 15, 1962
- **Crew Member:** Andriyan Nikolayev (Backup: Boris Volynov)
- **Call Sign:** Сокол (Sokol), meaning "Falcon"
- **Spacecraft Type:** Vostok (crewed spacecraft)
- **Launch Vehicle:** Vostok-K
- **Mission Duration:** 5,662 minutes (approx. 3.9 days)
- **Orbits Completed:** 64
- **Orbital Parameters:** Apoapsis 218 km, Periapsis 166 km, Inclination 65.0 degrees
- **Mission Sequence:** Preceded by Vostok 2; Followed by Vostok 4

## FAQs
### Q: Who was the cosmonaut aboard Vostok 3?
A: The sole crew member for Vostok 3 was Andriyan Nikolayev. Boris Volynov served as the backup or reserve crew member.

### Q: What was the duration of the Vostok 3 mission?
A: The mission lasted 5,662 minutes, which is approximately 3 days and 22 hours, during which the spacecraft completed 64 orbits of Earth.

### Q: What rocket was used to launch Vostok 3?
A: Vostok 3 was launched using a Vostok-K expendable carrier rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

## Why It Matters
Vostok 3 was a critical milestone in the Space Race, significantly extending the duration of human spaceflight beyond the limits set by previous Vostok missions. Launched just under a year after Yuri Gagarin's historic flight, this mission demonstrated that humans could endure the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit for nearly four days, a necessary step toward future long-term space station habitation.

The mission is historically significant for its role in the first "group flight" or joint space mission. While Vostok 3 orbited Earth, Vostok 4 was launched the following day, bringing two human-crewed spacecraft into close proximity in orbit. This coordination required precise timing and communication capabilities, proving the Soviet Union's ability to manage multiple space assets simultaneously. The data gathered regarding the physiological effects of prolonged weightlessness on Andriyan Nikolayev provided essential insights for future aerospace medicine and spacecraft life-support system designs.

## Notable For
- **First Team Manned Space Flight:** As indicated by contemporary Soviet commemoration, it was part of the first joint mission involving two crewed spacecraft (Vostok 3 and Vostok 4).
- **Endurance Record:** At the time, the mission significantly extended the record for the longest time a human had spent in space (5,662 minutes).
- **Physiological Study:** It provided crucial data on human physical and psychological endurance in space, as Nikolayev orbited Earth 64 times.
- **Precision Landing:** The mission concluded with a successful landing in Kazakhstan at coordinates 42.0333°N, 75.75°E.

## Body

### Mission Profile
Vostok 3 was a human spaceflight mission undertaken by the Soviet space program. It launched on August 11, 1962, at 08:24 UTC from Site 1/5 ("Gagarin's Start") at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The spacecraft successfully entered a low Earth orbit with an apoapsis of 218 km and a periapsis of 166 km. It completed 64 orbits around the Earth over a period of 5,662 minutes (approximately 94 hours). The mission concluded with a successful landing in Kazakhstan on August 15, 1962.

### Spacecraft and Equipment
The spacecraft utilized was a Vostok-class crewed vehicle manufactured by the S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia. It had a takeoff mass of 4,722 kilograms. The orbital parameters included a period of 88.5 minutes and an inclination of 65.0 degrees relative to the equator. The spacecraft's call sign was "Sokol" (Russian: Сокол), and it is referenced in international catalogs with the COSPAR ID 1962-036A and the Harvard designation 1962 Alpha Mu 1.

### Crew
The flight was piloted by Andriyan Nikolayev. The backup crew member assigned to the mission was Boris Volynov.

## Schema Markup
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  "description": "A Soviet crewed spaceflight launched on 11 August 1962 as part of the Vostok programme, piloted by Andriyan Nikolayev.",
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## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1962-036A)