Tag: Rockets and People: Hot Days of the Cold War

Soviet ‘Cosmic Spectacular’ Included First Woman in Space

Soviet ‘Cosmic Spectacular’ Included First Woman in Space

In June 1963, 60 years ago, the Soviet Union performed another “spectacular” in the cosmos, eclipsing American achievements in space. As was the case 10 months earlier, two Vostok spacecraft orbited the Earth with one establishing a new human spaceflight endurance record. Aboard the second capsule was the first woman to travel in space. Her time in orbit was more than all six U.S. human flights combined.

Gherman Titov’s Day-Long Flight Proved Humans Can Live in Space

Gherman Titov’s Day-Long Flight Proved Humans Can Live in Space

Soviet Air Force Major Gherman Titov became the second person in orbit, spending an entire day circling the Earth in 1961. Since he was able to sleep in space, it proved humans could not only work in the weightless environment, but live there too. However, in doing so, Titov also became the first to oversleep in space.