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Today in Space History: Soviets Launch First Three-Man Crew
By Anatoly Zak
Staff Writer
posted: 11:40 am ET
12 October 1999
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Thirty five years ago today, the Soviet Union surprised the world with another "space first" launching worlds first multi-member space crew into space aboard Voskhod-1Thirty-five years ago today, the Soviet Union surprised the world with another "space first" by launching world's first multi-member crew into space aboard the Voskhod-1 spacecraft. The three-member crew, who spent 24 hours in space, included commander Vladimir Komarov, engineer Konstantin Feoktistov and physician Boris Egorov. Before the Voskhod-1, both the USSR and the US had flown only one-seat spacecraft into space. When the sensational news about the three-man Voskhod reached America, US Defense Secretary Robert McNamara reportedly called the new Soviet craft a prototype of the 'space cruiser.' The Russians weren't quite so optimistic about their accomplishment, however. "We wished it was true," wrote Boris Chertok, then deputy to chief Soviet spacecraft designer Sergei Korolev, in his recently published memoirs. In reality, the Voskhod-1 was a heavily modified one-seat Vostok, into which Korolev managed to squeeze three men by eliminating their pressure suits and many backup systems. Russian space industry insiders called the whole mission a "space circus." Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev put forward the idea of sending a three-man crew into space after he learned about US plans to introduce the two-seat Gemini spacecraft around that time. When the Soviet leader proposed the plan to Korolev in a telephone conversation, the designer initially called it "absolutely impossible." However, he promised to think about it after Khrushchev insisted. Thus, the Voskhod was born. Ironically, during their "absence," Khrushchev was ousted from the Kremlin in a bloodless coup, so when the Voskhod crew successfully landed, they were greeted by a new government.
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