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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1422.PDF
218 FLIGHT International, 16 August ]%i WORLD E W S Two Men in Orbit Making up for a 12-month quiet period in the field of space exploration, the Soviet Union was back in the manned spaceflight business in no mean fashion last weekend, with the launching of two cos monauts into near-identical Earth orbits within the space of 24 hours. The first launch was announced by the Soviet news agency Tass in the following terms:— "On August 11, 1962 at 11.30 a.m. Mos cow time, the cosmic ship Vostok 3 was launched into orbit around the Earth. The Vostok 3 spaceship is piloted by citizen of the Soviet Union cosmonaut-pilot Maj Comrade Andrian Grigoryevich Nikolayev. "The object of the flight is the following: the obtaining of further information on the effects of conditions of cosmic flight on the human organism: investigation of the work ing ability of man under conditions of weightlessness; the carrying out by man of specific scientific observations under conditions of cosmic flight; further per fection of systems of cosmic ships, means of communication, guidance and landing. "The Vostok 3 spaceship satellite has been launched into an orbit close to that calculated. According to preliminary data the period of the circuit of the satellite spaceship round the Earth is 88.5min; its minimum distance from the Earth's surface (perigee) and its maximum distance (apogee) are respectively 183 and 251km. The inclina tion of the orbit to the plane of the equator is about 65°. Two-way radio communica tions are being maintained continuously with spaceship Vostok 3. "According to the reports from pilot- cosmonaut Comrade Nikolayev, and also in accordance with objective data received by telemetric and television systems, he stood up satisfactorily to the period of the ship's entry into orbit and the transition into the state of weightlessness. Comrade Nikolayev is feeling well." A later announcement stated that, at 7 p.m. Moscow time, the elements of the spacecraft's orbit were: period of revolu tion, 88.32min; apogee and perigee, 234 and 180km respectively; inclination of the orbit to the equatorial plane, 64° 59'. The launch of Vostok 4 carrying pilot- cosmonaut Pavel Romanovich Popovich took place at 11.02 a.m. Moscow time on the following day. Sunday, August 12. An announcement stated: "The task of setting two spaceships on orbits close to each other is to obtain experimental data on the possibility of establishing direct contact between two ships. Such two-way com munication between the two spaceships has been established." Another statement added: "The task was, among others, to obtain experimental data on the possibility of establishing Andrian Nikolayev contacts between two ships, co-ordinating the actions of the cosmonauts, and checking the influence of identical conditions of spaceflight on human organism." Orbital details for Vostok 4 were given as: period. 88.5min; perigee, 180km; apogee, 254km and inclination "about 65." Tass added: "All systems of space ships Vostok 3 and 4 are working normally. For the first time, according to the research plan, two ships. Vostok 3 and 4 piloted by Soviet citizens Nikolayev and Popovich are carrying out joint group work in space." In one of the subsequent reports on the progress of the two spacecraft, Nikolayev was reported to have seen Vostok 4 through his porthole. At the time of going to press, both spacecraft were still in orbit. Blue Water Cancelled On August 10 the Minister of Defence, Mr Peter Thorneycroft, announced the cancellation of the development contract for the Blue Water tactical guided missile, which was being produced by British Air craft Corporation as a replacement for the obsolescent Corporal missile with the Royal Artillery. Official reasons for the decision are: cost is too great; the missile would be used only in Europe; hoped-for sales to other NATO nations have not materialized; there are political and tactical difficulties attendant upon independent British nuclear weapons; and—it is said— the RAF claim to be able to do all the target- obliteration that Blue Water can do, besides being able to find the targets in the first place. There is no question of the Army receiving the comparable American Ser- Pavel Popovich geant weapon system, which remains the only tactical missile of its class under development in the West. Compared with the cancelled British weapon, Sergeant is heavier, most costly, more difficult to con ceal, slower into action and less accurate: but it has money behind it. English Electric Aviation at Stevenage are hard hit by the loss of their largest pro ject, but the Defence Minister has tried to soften the blow to the industry as a whole —which was. as has several times been the case in recent years, announced on the eve of the Parliamentary recess, thus preventing discussion in the Commons—by announcing that Blue Steel and Seaslug 2 will, for the present, "continue as planned." He also announced the existence of a ship-to-ati missile system called CF.299, under develop ment by Whitworth Gloster at Whitley. and the wire-guided Swingfire anti-tank weapon by BAC (AT) Ltd. Moreover, it is suggested that in 1963 "theGovernment will be spending approximately £300m with the aircraft industry." Some of this money could finance the projects described in the next news item. More Military Aircraft At the same time as the cancellation of Blue Water was announced, the Ministry ol Defence stated that six more VC10 trans port aircraft are to be ordered from British Aircraft Corporation for RAF Transport Command. No details of the sub-type in volved are given, but the five alreadv on RAF order will be basically standard passenger aircraft. This order brings the number of VCI0 aircraft to be built op to
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