Vostok 3

Infobox Space mission
mission_name = Vostok 3
spacecraft_name =
shuttle =
insignia = vostok3-4patch.png insignia_size = 200px
sign = Сокол (Sokol - "Falcon")
crew_members = 1
launch_pad =
launch = August 11, 1962
08:24 UTC
Gagarin's Start
begin_spacewalk =
end_spacewalk =
landing = August 15, 1962
06:52 UTC
coord|42|2|N|75|45|E|
duration = 3d/22:28
orbits = 64
apogee = 218 km
perigee = 166 km
period = 88.5 minutes
altitude =
inclination = 65.0°
distance =
mass = 4722 kg
crew_photo = Nikolayev.jpg
crew_caption = unverifiedimage
previous =
next =

Vostok 3 was a mission in the Soviet space program.

Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 were launched a day apart, and together these missions marked the first time that more than one manned spacecraft was in orbit at the same time, giving Soviet mission controllers the opportunity of learning how to manage this scenario.

Vostok 3 was manned by Andrian Nikolayev, who reported sighting the Vostok 4 capsule after it entered orbit near him. The cosmonauts aboard the two capsules also communicated with each other via radio, the first ship-to-ship communications in space.

A final "first" for Vostok 3 was Nikolayev's taking of colour movie footage of the Earth from orbit.

Crew

Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.
*Andrian Nikolayev (1)

Backup crew

*Valery F. Bykovsky

Reserve crew

*Boris Volynov

References

[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1962-036A NASA NSSDC Spaceraft Details]