Cosmonaut Exhibition - Science Museum
Discussion
This might be worthwhile considering as a PH Science Forum trip?
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/plan_y...
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/plan_y...
They also spread themselves a bit too thinly. Before Apollo 8 managed to orbit the moon in December 1968, the Soviets had a Plan B lunar programme involving using a stripped down Soyuz spacecraft carrying only one cosmonaut which would perform a figure of eight loop around the moon and return to earth.
The rocket to be used was the then relatively new Proton. It is likely that Alexei Leonov would have been the cosmonaut involved.
They actually performed a number of test missions carrying biological subjects (including turtles and plants) which carried out this type of flight in the Autumn of 1968. The missions were labelled Zonds 4 and 5 and were only partially successful. Although both craft returned to earth successfully, they experienced much higher G loads during re-entry than planned so they were concerned that a human passenger might be incapacitated or even killed.
However, once Apollo 8 went around the moon, the manned mission was scrapped as there was no propaganda value to be had by flying it. They, of course, never revealed to the West what the true purpose of Zonds 4 and 5 was until the 1990s.
The rocket to be used was the then relatively new Proton. It is likely that Alexei Leonov would have been the cosmonaut involved.
They actually performed a number of test missions carrying biological subjects (including turtles and plants) which carried out this type of flight in the Autumn of 1968. The missions were labelled Zonds 4 and 5 and were only partially successful. Although both craft returned to earth successfully, they experienced much higher G loads during re-entry than planned so they were concerned that a human passenger might be incapacitated or even killed.
However, once Apollo 8 went around the moon, the manned mission was scrapped as there was no propaganda value to be had by flying it. They, of course, never revealed to the West what the true purpose of Zonds 4 and 5 was until the 1990s.
To test out the Soyuz capsule in a "loop around the moon type mission". Apart from the need to ensure it sustained the life of the cosmonaut on board for the six or so days such a mission would involve, the heat shield of the Soyuz had to be tested to ensure it would protect the craft during the re-entry phase. Re-entry from a lunar flight is at a much higher speed (25,000 mph) compared to re-entry from, earth orbit (17.500 mph).
In fact, there were three missions in the series - Zonds 4, 5 and 6.
In fact, there were three missions in the series - Zonds 4, 5 and 6.
The three seat Voshkod was a "rush job". Kruschev demanded that Korolev launch a three seat spacecraft well ahead of America's just announced two seat Gemini. Korolev told Kruschev that he WAS developing a sophisticated three seater which would be called Soyuz but would not be ready for launch until late 1966 at the earliest. Kruschev said that this was too long as it would mean Gemini and possibly Apollo (a genuine three seater) would fly first, which to Kruschev was not an option.
Korolev instead took a spare single seat Vostok, stripped out any "unnecessary" equipment, including the large ejector seat, and shoehorned in three smaller couches. In order to fit them in they had to be placed across the capsule instead of front to back. If you looked inside at the exhibition, you could see that the (minimal) instrument panel was to the left of the Commander's couch, rather than directly ahead of the crew. This meant that only the commander could work and monitor the instruments.
What would have been nice would have been an information board beside each capsule explaining what the instrument panel buttons, dials and displays were for.
Korolev instead took a spare single seat Vostok, stripped out any "unnecessary" equipment, including the large ejector seat, and shoehorned in three smaller couches. In order to fit them in they had to be placed across the capsule instead of front to back. If you looked inside at the exhibition, you could see that the (minimal) instrument panel was to the left of the Commander's couch, rather than directly ahead of the crew. This meant that only the commander could work and monitor the instruments.
What would have been nice would have been an information board beside each capsule explaining what the instrument panel buttons, dials and displays were for.
funkyrobot said:
I read a little something about the seating plan and the way they had to crane their necks to see the instruments. But, as you say, there wasn't much more than a bit of text about the capsule.
Did the Russian moon rover (next to the lunar lander) actually make it to the moon? I can't remember if it stated it had. If so, I wonder where the pictures it took are.
TWO of those rovers were landed - Lunokhod 1 in 1970 and Lunokhod 2 in January 1973. They each took thousands of photos and also returned live TV images. Indeed. the TV images were vital as the TV cameras were essentially the eyes which allowed the earth based controllers to operate the rovers remotely. Although many images were taken, not that many were released or shown in the West mainly because the Apollo pictures were so much better. Here's one picture of the Lunokhod's own tracks. Did the Russian moon rover (next to the lunar lander) actually make it to the moon? I can't remember if it stated it had. If so, I wonder where the pictures it took are.
bloomen said:
I really couldn't get over how absolutely tiny the three man capsule was.
That's because it wasn't really a three man capsule. It was in reality a one man Vostok hastilly stripped down to squeeze ion three occupants - all to satisfy the political desire of Nikita Kruschev to upstage the Americans, before they had a chance to fly the genuine two man Gemini.Sergei Korolev was designing a genuine three man craft - the Soyuz - but he was forced to put that on hold whilst he adapted the Vostok to carry three and later to adapt it to allow a two man crew and an airlock for spacewalking.
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