Article: Vostok

Vostok

The Vostok ("East") program grew out of Cold War competition in the 1950s and 1960s between the United States and the Soviet Union. Vostok's engineering and scientific goals were secondary to the political aim of putting a man into space first but included testing basic spacecraft systems such as life support and demonstrating that humans could withstand launch, weight-lessness, re-entry into the atmosphere, and landing.

The 4,730-kilogram (10,428-pound) Vostok spacecraft consisted of a capsule and an instrument module. The capsule, which carried the cosmonaut, was a 2.3-meter (7.5-foot) silver sphere with a round entry hatch. A second hatch covered the parachute compartment. Four ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!