Korabl-Sputnik 4

Korabl-Sputnik 4
Mission type Biological
Technology
Harvard designation 1961 Theta 1
SATCAT № 91
Mission duration 1 hour, 41 minutes
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type Vostok-3KA
Manufacturer OKB-1
Launch mass 4,700 kilograms (10,400 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date 9 March 1961, 06:29:00 (1961-03-09UTC06:29Z) UTC
Rocket Vostok-K 8K72K s/n E103-14
Launch site Baikonur 1/5
End of mission
Landing date 9 March 1961, 08:09:54 (1961-03-09UTC08:09:55Z) UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Perigee 173 kilometres (107 mi)
Apogee 239 kilometres (149 mi)
Inclination 64.93 degrees
Period 88.6 minutes

Korabl-Sputnik 4[1] (Russian: Корабль-Спутник 4 meaning Ship-Satellite 4) or Vostok-3KA No.1, also known as Sputnik 9 in the West,[2] was a Soviet spacecraft which was launched in 1961. Carrying the mannequin Ivan Ivanovich, a dog named Chernushka, some mice and a guinea pig, it was a test flight of the Vostok spacecraft.[3]

Korabl-Sputnik 4 was launched at 06:29:00 UTC on 9 March 1961, atop a Vostok-K carrier rocket flying from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.[1] It was successfully placed into low Earth orbit. The spacecraft was only intended to complete a single orbit, so it was deorbited shortly after launch, and reentered on its first pass over the Soviet Union. It landed at 08:09:54 UTC, and was successfully recovered. During the descent, the mannequin was ejected from the spacecraft in a test of its ejection seat, and descended separately under its own parachute.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  2. ↑ Wade, Mark. "Vostok". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  3. ↑ Gray, Tara (1998). "A Brief History of Animals in Space". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved 3 May 2007.
  4. ↑ Wade, Mark. "Soyuz". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 28 July 2010.


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