Korabl-Sputnik 4
1961 postage stamp
Mission typeBiological
Technology
Harvard designation1960 Theta 1
COSPAR ID1961-008A
SATCAT no.91
Mission duration1 hour, 41 minutes
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeVostok-3KA
ManufacturerOKB-1
Launch mass4,700 kilograms (10,400 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date9 March 1961, 06:29:00 (1961-03-09UTC06:29Z) UTC
RocketVostok-K 8K72K s/n E103-14
Launch siteBaikonur 1/5
End of mission
Landing date9 March 1961, 08:09:54 (1961-03-09UTC08:09:55Z) UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude173 kilometres (107 mi)
Apogee altitude239 kilometres (149 mi)
Inclination64.93 degrees
Period88.6 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 on 9 March 1961. Carrying the mannequin Ivan Ivanovich, a dog named Chernushka, some mice and the first guinea pig in space, 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 May 27, 2019.
  2. Wade, Mark. "Vostok". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. 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. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
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