Voskhod 2

Voskhod 2
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Name	Voskhod 2
Mission type	Manned EVA test
Operator	Soviet space program
COSPAR ID	1965-022A
SATCAT	01274
Mission duration	1 day, 2 hours, 2 minutes
Spacecraft	Voskhod-3KD
Manufacturer	OKB-1
Launch mass	5,682 kilograms
Launch date	18 March 1965 07:00:00 UTC
Launch rocket	Voskhod 11A57
Launch site	Baikonur Site 1/5
Landing date	19 March 1965 09:02:17 UTC
Landing site	Perm Oblast, RSFSR
Orbit reference	Geocentric orbit
Orbit regime	Low Earth orbit
Orbit periapsis	167 kilometres
Orbit apoapsis	475 kilometres
Orbit inclination	64.8 degrees
Orbit period	90.9 minutes
Crew members	Pavel Belyayev, Alexei Leonov
Crew callsign	Almaz
Previous mission	Voskhod 1
Next mission	Kosmos 110

Voskhod 2 was a pioneering Soviet space program mission that achieved the first human spacewalk in history. Launched on 18 March 1965, the flight carried cosmonauts Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov aboard a modified Voskhod spacecraft. The mission's primary objective was to demonstrate the feasibility of manned operations outside a spacecraft, a critical step for future orbital and lunar activities. While the EVA was a monumental success, the mission encountered significant technical problems that complicated its return and landing.

Mission overview

Conceived by chief designer Sergei Korolev and his team at OKB-1, the mission was a direct response to the competition with the United States and its Gemini program. The flight aimed to surpass the milestone set by the earlier Voskhod 1 mission, which had carried the first multi-person crew into orbit. Political pressure from the Central Committee demanded a spectacular achievement before the planned first American EVA attempt. The mission profile required modifications to the standard Voskhod design, including the addition of an inflatable egress airlock to accommodate the exit into the vacuum of space.

Crew

The prime crew consisted of commander Pavel Belyayev, a veteran fighter pilot from the Second World War, and pilot Alexei Leonov, a skilled air force officer and accomplished artist. Their backups were cosmonauts Viktor Gorbatko and Yevgeny Khrunov, who were also trained for the EVA procedures. The selection of Leonov was strategic, as his physical fitness and calm demeanor were deemed essential for the unprecedented and hazardous task. Both Belyayev and Leonov underwent extensive training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, using simulators and practicing in zero-gravity aircraft like the Tu-104AK.

Spacewalk

On 19 March 1965, during the second orbit, Alexei Leonov exited the spacecraft through the inflatable airlock, becoming the first human to perform an extravehicular activity. He remained outside for 12 minutes and 9 seconds, connected to the spacecraft by a 5.35-meter tether that supplied oxygen. Leonov's Berkut spacesuit unexpectedly stiffened and ballooned in the vacuum, making it extremely difficult for him to re-enter the narrow airlock hatch. To solve this critical problem, he was forced to dangerously lower the suit's internal pressure, a maneuver not in the original flight plan. The incident highlighted the unforeseen dangers of working in the space environment.

Technical details

The Voskhod-3KD spacecraft was a heavily modified version of the Vostok capsule, stripped of its ejection seats and equipped with a solid-fuel retro-rocket for descent. Key modifications included the attachable Volga egress module, which was jettisoned after the spacewalk. The mission faced a major crisis after the EVA, when the automatic orientation system for re-entry failed. Commander Pavel Belyayev had to manually align the spacecraft using the optical sight, causing a one-orbit delay. This resulted in an unplanned ballistic descent and a rough landing in the remote, snow-covered forests of the Ural region, near the city of Perm.

Legacy

Voskhod 2 secured a major propaganda victory for the Soviet Union during the Cold War, cementing its early lead in the Space Race. The mission proved the concept of human activity in space, directly influencing the design of spacesuits and procedures for both the Soviet space program and NASA. The harrowing experiences of Alexei Leonov and Pavel Belyayev provided invaluable lessons for the safety of future missions, including the Soyuz program and the American lunar effort. Leonov's historic walk is commemorated globally as a foundational moment in human space exploration, preceding the first American EVA by Ed White on Gemini 4 just months later.

Category:Voskhod program Category:Human spaceflight missions Category:1965 in the Soviet Union Category:Spacecraft launched in 1965