Soyuz 3 (, ''Union 3'') was a
spaceflight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly objects, usually spacecraft, into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such ...
mission launched by the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
on 26 October 1968. Flown by
Georgy Beregovoy, the
Soyuz 7K-OK spacecraft completed 81 orbits over four days. The 47-year-old Beregovoy was a decorated World War II flying ace and the oldest person to go into orbit up to that time. The mission achieved the first Russian
space rendezvous
Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...
with the
uncrewed Soyuz 2, but failed to achieve a planned
docking of the two craft. As of , this mission marks the last time a Soviet/Russian cosmonaut was launched alone to conduct an entirely solo orbital mission.
Crew
Backup crew
Reserve crew
Mission parameters
*Mass:
*Perigee:
[ ]
*Apogee:
*Inclination: 51.66°
*Period: 88.87 minutes
Background
The Soviet space program had experienced great success in its early years, but by the mid-1960s the pace of success had slowed. While the
Voskhod programme achieved the first multi-crewed spaceflight and first
extravehicular activity
Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut in outer space outside a spacecraft. In the absence of a breathable atmosphere of Earth, Earthlike atmosphere, the astronaut is completely reliant on a space suit for environme ...
(EVA), problems encountered led to its termination after only two flights, allowing the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
to surpass the Soviet achievements with the
Project Gemini
Project Gemini () was the second United States human spaceflight program to fly. Conducted after the first American crewed space program, Project Mercury, while the Apollo program was still in early development, Gemini was conceived in 1961 and ...
. The
Soyuz programme was intended to rejuvenate the program by developing
space rendezvous
Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...
and
docking capability, and practical extravehicular activity without tiring the cosmonaut, as had been demonstrated by the United States Gemini. These capabilities would be required for the Soviet manned Lunar landing program and the
Salyut programme
The ''Salyut'' programme (, , meaning "salute" or "fireworks") was the first space station programme, undertaken by the Soviet Union. It involved a series of four crewed scientific research space stations and two crewed military reconnaissa ...
(space station).
Soyuz 1 had been launched with the goal of docking with the crewed
Soyuz 2 craft, but even before the second craft was launched, problems with Soyuz 1 made it clear that Soyuz 2 had to be cancelled before the landing of Soyuz 1. This saved the lives of the three-man Soyuz 2 crew; Soyuz 1 ended with the death of cosmonaut
Vladimir Komarov on 23 April 1967, due to a faulty parachute system. Soyuz 2 would have flown with the same defective system as Soyuz 1. As a result, the Soyuz spacecraft was revised for Soyuz 2 and Soyuz 3 in 1968.
Spaceflight
Soyuz 2 (capsule number 7K-OK-P No. 11)
[Soyuz-2 completes its mission](_blank)
''www.russianspaceweb.com'', accessed 27 December 2922 was launched on 25 October 1968 as an uncrewed target vehicle for Soyuz 3 (capsule number 7K-OK-P No. 10),
which was launched the following day. The launch of Soyuz 2 was not reported by the government, although other nations were aware through their own monitors. It was not until Soyuz 3 was safely aloft that an official announcement was made.
The more conservative mission used Beregovoy as the single pilot, with
Vladimir Shatalov designated as his backup, and
Boris Volynov in reserve. Entering
orbit
In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an ...
and near Soyuz 2 a half-hour after launch, Beregovoy gradually guided his craft within docking range () of his target.
However, Beregovoy failed to achieve docking. He failed to notice that Soyuz 2 was turned upside-down in relation to his craft, and used up too much of his maneuvering fuel in the attempt.
He made a second rendezvous and docking attempt the next day, but again failed. Hours later, Soyuz 2 was sent back to Earth and landed by 07:51 GMT the next day. Beregovoy continued to orbit, making
topographical and
meteorological observations for the next two days. Beregovoy also treated television viewers to a "live" tour of the spacecraft interior. In addition, the Soviets published a photo of Soyuz 3's launch vehicle on the pad at Baikonur, marking the first time that the
R-7 was shown to the outside world.
Return
Beregovoy and Soyuz 3 came back to Earth on 30 October 1968, after completing 81 full orbits of the Earth. The descent module landed near the city of
Karaganda in
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
, cushioned by a blizzard's snowfall. Despite subzero temperatures, Beregovoy's landing was so easy he said later that he hardly felt the impact at all.
The Soviets hailed Soyuz 3 as a complete success. Beregovoy was promoted to
Major general and named director of the national
Center for Cosmonaut Training at
Star City.
Soviet disingenuousness
The Soviet government concealed the fact that docking had been unsuccessfully attempted. Contemporary Western news reports described the orbital mission of Soyuz 3 in the same manner as the Soviet press, referring to a "
successful rendezvous" with
Soyuz 2, but characterizing it as a test with no actual ship-to-ship docking planned. This interpretation was largely accepted for years afterward. The intended docking was disclosed only after the breakup of the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
.
Legacy
The flight of Soyuz 3 had numerous effects on future space exploration both short- and long-term. The flawless recovery of Soyuz 3 left the spacecraft designers with the impression that re-entry and landing systems had been perfected: the crash-landing of the
Zond 6 satellite just one month later had been partly attributed to this mistaken sense of security. The value of the outer space survey of Earth was a defining step in the development of the Soyuz program's grand strategy: the later evolution of space-based research platforms have roots in Beregovoy's lengthy and meticulous data-collection. Even the failure of the space docking proved an experiential benefit to the Soviet space program: after the demoralizing catastrophe of
Soyuz 1, the credible achievements and safe return of Soyuz 3 breathed new life into the faltering program. New flights continued apace, and they put the knowledge gained from Soyuz 3 towards missions of increasing audacity and success.
[Clark, p. 50: "With Soyuz 3, the Soviet crewed programme regained its confidence, and its success may have encouraged the Soviets to consider a crewed flight around the Moon in December, 1968... Overall it represented a successful return to crewed space missions after a break of eighteen months"]
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Soyuz 03
Crewed Soyuz missions
Spacecraft launched in 1968
Spacecraft which reentered in 1968
1968 in the Soviet Union