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| A Vostok 5 launch cover featuring a Donetsk postmark dated June 14, 1963. |
Vostok 5, launched on June 14, 1963, was piloted by Valery Bykovsky. This mission was part of a joint operation with Vostok 6; similar to the earlier pair of Vostok 3 and Vostok 4, the two Vostok spacecraft came close to each other in orbit and established a radio link. Vostok 5 returned to Earth on June 19, 1963. The mission faced several prelaunch delays, primarily due to concerns about elevated solar flare activity. At this early stage, the potential effects on the spacecraft and its occupant were not well understood, leading to the postponement of the original launch date from June 11.
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| A Vostok 5 launch cover featuring a Liepaja postmark dated June 14, 1963.
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| A Vostok 5 launch cover featuring a Poltava postmark dated June 15, 1963. |
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| A Vostok 5 launch cover featuring a Kiev postmark dated June 15, 1963, signed by Gherman Titov and Valery Bykovsky. |
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| A Vostok 5 cover featuring a portrait of Valery Bykovsky and a stamp, with a special postmark from Moscow. |
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| A postcard featuring a portrait of Valery Bykovsky, canceled with a Vostok 5 stamp depicting him. |
(Reference from
Vostok 5)
