"East" is a booster rocket. The first rocket "East"

The Second World War, in addition to bringing a huge number of innumerable victims and destruction, led to a scientific and industrial and technological revolution. The post-war redistribution of the world required from the main competitors - the USSR and the USA - to develop new technologies, to develop science and production. Already in the fifties, mankind came out into space: on October 4, 1957, the first spacecraft, with the laconic name Sputnik-1, flew around the planet, announcing the beginning of a new era. Four years later the first cosmonaut was delivered into the orbit by the Vostok rocket: Yuri Gagarin became the conqueror of the cosmos.

Prehistory

The second world, contrary to the aspirations of millions of people, the world has not ended. The confrontation between the West (led by the US) and the Eastern (USSR) bloc began - first for domination in Europe, and then for the whole world. The so-called "cold war" broke out, at any moment threatening to develop into a hot stage.

With the creation of nuclear weapons, the question arose about the fastest ways of delivering it over huge distances. The Soviet Union and the United States have relied on the development of nuclear missiles capable of delivering a strike in a matter of minutes against an enemy on the other side of the earth. However, in parallel, the parties were ambitious plans for the development of near space. As a result, the Vostok rocket was created, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin became the first cosmonaut, and the USSR captured leadership in the missile sphere.

The battle for space

In the mid-1950s, the Atlas ballistic missile was created in the USA, and the R-7 (the future "East") in the USSR. The rocket was created with a large margin of power and carrying capacity, which allowed it to be used not only for destruction, but also for creative purposes. It's no secret that the leading designer of the missile program, Sergey Pavlovich Korolev, was an adherent of Tsiolkovsky's ideas and dreamed of conquering and mastering the cosmos. The capabilities of the R-7 made it possible to send satellites and even manned vehicles outside the planet.

It was thanks to the ballistic R-7 and Atlas that humanity was able to overcome the earth's gravity for the first time. At the same time, a domestic missile, capable of delivering a 5-ton cargo to the target, possessed greater reserves for improvement than the American one. This, together with the geographic location of both states, determined the various ways of creating the first manned spacecraft (PAC) "Mercury" and "East". The launch vehicle in the USSR received the same name as the PKK.

History of creation

The development of the ship began in OKB SP Korolev (now RSC Energia) in the autumn of 1958. To gain time and "wipe the nose" of the United States, the USSR went on the shortest path. At the design stage, various schemes of ships were considered: from a winged model that allowed landing in a given area and almost at aerodromes, to a ballistic model in the form of a sphere. The creation of a cruise missile with a high carrying capacity was associated with a large volume of scientific research, in comparison with the spherical shape.

Based on the R-7 intercontinental missile (MR) recently designed for delivery of nuclear warheads. After its modernization, the "East" was born: a carrier rocket and the manned vehicle of the same name. A special feature of the Vostok spacecraft was the separate landing system of the descent vehicle and the cosmonaut after his ejection. This system was intended for emergency abandonment of a ship in the active part of the flight. This guaranteed the preservation of life, regardless of where the landing took place - on a hard surface or water area.

The design of the launch vehicle

To launch the spacecraft into orbit around the Earth on the basis of MR R-7, the first Vostok rocket was developed for civilian purposes. Its flight-design tests in an unmanned version began on May 5, 1960, and on April 12, 1961, the first human flight into space - USSR citizen Yu. A. Gagarin - took place.

A three-stage structural scheme was used, using liquid fuel at all stages (kerosene + liquid oxygen). The first two stages consisted of 5 blocks: one central (maximum diameter 2.95 m, length 28.75 m) and four side (diameter 2.68 m, length 19.8 m). The third was connected by a rod to the central block. Also on the sides of each stage were steering cameras for maneuvering. In the head part, the PKK was mounted (later - artificial satellites), covered with a fairing. The side blocks are equipped with tail booms.

Technical characteristics of the carrier "Vostok"

The rocket had a maximum diameter of 10.3 meters with a length of 38.36 meters. The starting mass of the system reached 290 tons. The estimated mass of payload was almost three times higher than the American equivalent and equaled 4.73 tons.

Traction forces of the accelerating blocks in the void:

• Central - 941 kN;
• Side - on 1 MN;
• The third stage is 54.5 kN.

Construction of the PAC

The manned rocket "Vostok" (Gagarin as a pilot) consisted of a descent vehicle in the form of a sphere with an outer diameter of 2.4 meters and a detachable instrument cluster. The thermal cover of the descent device had a thickness of 30 to 180 mm. In the case there are input, parachute and technological hatches. In the descent device there were systems of power supply, thermoregulation, control, life support and orientation, as well as control knob, communication equipment, direction finding and telemetry, cosmonaut's console.

In the instrument cluster, control and orientation systems for traffic, power supplies, VHF radio communications, telemetry, and a software-temporary device were located. On the surface of the PAC were placed 16 cylinders with nitrogen for use by the orientation system and oxygen for breathing, cold hinged radiators with blinds, solar sensors and orientation engines. To descend from the orbit, a brake propulsion system was created, created under the direction of AM Isaev.

The inhabited module consists of:

• Housing;
• The brake motor;
• Catapulted chair;
• 16 gas cylinders of the life support and orientation system;
• Heat protection;
• Instrument compartment;
• Entrance, technological and service hatches;
• Container with food;
• Complex of antennas (tape, general radio communication, command radio communication system);
• Casing of electrical connectors;
• A fastening tape;
• Ignition systems;
• A block of electronic equipment;
• Porthole;
• Television camera.

Project "Mercury"

Soon after the successful flights of the first artificial Earth satellites, the US media heavily advertised the creation of the manned spacecraft Mercury, even the date of its first flight was called. In these conditions, it was extremely important to gain time to emerge victorious in the space race and simultaneously demonstrate to the world the superiority of one or another political system. As a result, the launch of the Vostok missile with a man on board confused the ambitious plans of competitors.

The development of "Mercury" began in the company "Mac Donnel Douglas" in 1958. April 25, 1961, the first unmanned vehicle was launched on a suborbital trajectory, and on May 5 - the first manned flight of astronaut A. Shepard - also on a suborbital trajectory lasting 15 minutes. Only on February 20, 1962, ten months after Gagarin's flight, was the first orbital flight (3 turns of about 5 hours) of the astronaut John Glenn on the ship "Friendshire-7". For suborbital flights, the Redstone carrier rocket was used, and the Atlas-D carrier rocket was used. By that time, in the Soviet Union's asset was the daily flight into space of GS Titov on the Vostok-2 spacecraft.

Characteristics of inhabited modules

"East" - a rocket to the future

In addition to five test launches of ships of this type, six manned flights were made. In the future, on the basis of the "East", the ships of the "Voskhod" series were created in three- and two-seater versions, as well as "Zenith" satellite-photo reconnaissance vehicles.

The Soviet Union was the first to launch an artificial Earth satellite and a spacecraft with a man on board into space. At first, the world accepted the words "satellite" and "astronaut", but eventually they were ousted by the English-speaking "satellite" and "astronaut" abroad.

Conclusion

The space rocket "Vostok" made it possible to open a new reality for mankind - to get off the ground and reach for the stars. Despite repeated attempts to belittle the importance of the flight of the first cosmonaut Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin on April 12, 1961, this event will never fade, because it is one of the brightest milestones in the whole history of civilization.