1950s-70s Space Race to The Moon: 1962-08-12 USSR Vostok 4

Vostok 4 launch with special Simferopol postmark, August 12, 1962.

Vostok 4 was launched a day after Vostok 3 on August 12, 1962, with cosmonaut Pavel Popovich on board - the first time that more than one manned spacecraft were in orbit at the same time. Although both spacecrafts were placed in very similar orbits (within 3-4 kilometers altitude), the Vostoks did not possess the capability to achieve rendezvous. At one point they came within visual range of each other, and Popovich later reported at a news conference that he saw the other craft from orbit. Popovich is quoted as saying, "I saw it at once," referring to seeing Vostok 3 in orbit. "It looked like a very small moon in the distance.". Vostok 4 went largely as planned, despite a malfunction with the Vostok's life-support systems that caused cabin temperature to drop to 10 °C (50 °F). The flight was terminated early after a misunderstanding by ground control, who believed that Popovich had given them a codeword asking to be brought back ahead of schedule. The two spacecrafts landed seven minutes and about 200 km apart, south of Karaganda, Kazakhstan.

Vostok 4 launch with special Nikolaiev postmark, August 12, 1962.

Photo: Vostok 3 (piloted by Andriyan Nikolayev (left)) and Vostok 4 (piloted by Pavel Popovich (right)) landed about 200 km apart, south of Karaganda, Kazakhstan on August 15, 1962.