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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0803.PDF
801 fLIGHT International, 17 May 1962 Maj Titov presenting his paper before the COSPAR space science symposium in the State Department auditorium, Washington. COSPAR President H. C. Van de Hulst is next to the rostrum, and Lt-Col John Clenn is second from right One Day in Orbit BY HERMAN TITOV* ABOVE all, our scientists wanted to find out if man could stay and work in the conditions of weightlessness for a longer period than during the flight of the first cosmonaut, Y. A. Gagarin, and whether all systems of the spaceship could ensure man's stay in space for a period of 24 hours. The basic problems which were to be solved during this flight were as follows:— (1) Study of the effects on the human body of a prolonged orbital flight and consequent landing; (2) Study of man's efficiency during a long stay in conditions of weightlessness. The solution of these general problems was to be achieved by execution of a vast programme which included: (a) study of organism's physiological functions; (b) check of potentialities for maintaining continuous radio communication on HF-radio frequencies from any position of the spaceship and on VHF when the ship was over the territory of the Soviet Union; (c) check of the ship's manual control system; determination of the time of quiescing, of orientation, of operating body travel by different methods of orientation, easiness in handling the controls and maintenance of the ship in oriented position; (d) check of efficiency of the space life-supporting systems. The flight was preceded by two extensive independent stages of preparatory work, one of which included the system of a general course of cosmonaut training, while the other one incorporated a specific preparatory preflight period. Apart from study of a number of theoretical subjects, the general process of cosmonaut training also includes items of special, physical, medico-biological, technical and flight training. There is no need to discuss all the aspects of coaching and training we are engaged in. We consider the following aspects of training to be characteristic and basically important: (1) Special training conducted on a real ship and simulators which allow simulation of a normal flight and produce various failures and emergencies; (2) Medico-biological training in the form of practice on a centrifuge, in a thermochamber, surdochamber, etc.; (3) Physical training. Much attention is devoted to flight training, including execution of flights to experience weightlessness. Specific preparation for the flight was conducted according to a special syllabus. The basic items of the syllabus were: rehearsal of the elements of flight mission on a special simulator of Vostok 2 ship type; maintenance of physical fitness; medico-biological examinations; flight training; training in operation of the com munication equipment, etc. The elements of flight were rehearsed on the simulator for each orbit concretely. For example, the assignment required that the ship position be manually controlled in the second and seventh * Slightly abbreviated version of the report presented by Maj Titov ot the life sciences session of the third space science symposium organized by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council of Scientific Unions in Washington on May 3. orbits. I am a pilot and I am used to controlling aircraft, but flying a spaceship is somewhat different from flying an aircraft. The simulator gave me the opportunity to perfect this element of assignment, and while in flight I did not need to ponder how to handle the ship controls. I carried out all operations according to the procedure I had learned on the ground. The other elements of the flight mission were perfected in a similar way. Airborne VHF and HF receivers and transmitters, broadcasting receiver and individual means of communication indispensable for maintaining communication in descent and after landing, as well as co-operation with the ground flight control centres, required thorough preparation in this respect. Specific coaching in this field and thorough study of the radio-communication programme enabled me to maintain continuous contact with my motherland during the flight. . . Flight training at this period included flights to experience weightlessness and rehearsal of parachute-landing while carrying a complete set of regular equipment, i.e., the space suit and portable emergency supply with communication devices and food . . . The spaceship-sputnik Vostok 2 is a controllable rocket apparatus. Its weight without the last stage of the booster is 4,731kg. The ship-sputnik was put into orbit by a multi-stage booster having six liquid-propellant rocket engines of the Vostok type. Total maximum thrust of the engines of all stages is 600,000kg. After separation of the booster last stage, the capsule, instrument compartment and retro-rocket installation compartment continue to orbit. The exterior surface of the capsule is covered with a layer of heat shield to protect it against re-entry high temperatures. For observation purposes the capsule shell has three portholes. The ship's cabin is equipped with an optical orientator designed for determination of the local horizon and heading. The cabin incorporates the space life-supporting systems, including the air- conditioning system, pressure-regulating system, food and water, the system designed for disposal of excretion products. Food, water, regenerating plant substance, electric power supplies were envisaged for sustaining the cosmonaut for ten days. Apart from these, the ship is provided with the radio equipment for ship orbit control, the equipment for observing and recording physio logical functions in flight, radio telemetric equipment, independent recording system and transmitter equipment for controlling and recording ship equipment operation in flight. The ship's cabin is equipped with a television camera for obser ving the cosmonaut and a Convas movie camera, the thermo regulation system and the controls. After the retro-rockets have fired, the instrument compartment separates from the capsule. The cabin seat is the cosmonaut's working plaoe. Its design provides for the execution of a number of functions connected with the possibility of a long stay in the ship's cabin. Besides, the seat provides for ejection, in case of necessity, of the cosmonaut, his descent by parachute, and contains all that is necessary for sustaining the cosmonaut after landing. It has transceiver sets, food and oxygen supplies, etc. The seat is equipped with an inflatable dinghy which deploys automatically if descent is to be effected on water. All this equipment complex in conjunction with the space suit
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