Vostok 3KA-2 Space Capsule

Sent into space on March 25, 1961, this Soviet capsule was “piloted” by "Ivan Ivanovich", a mannequin, and the live dog “Zvezdochka”. After orbiting the earth with his canine companion for 115 hours, Ivan was successfully ejected upon re-entry, and landed near the Ural Mountains. Ivan and the Vostok capsule fell to earth near the city of Izhevsk. The townspeople who came across the bizarre scene of a smoldering space ship surrounded by soldiers first thought Ivan was a real person. Luckily, Russian space technicians had thought ahead: Concerned that whomever found Ivan might mistake him for a real man, they wrote the word “Model” across his forehead. The dog Zyezdochka also returned to earth safely. 

The Soviet space program had now overcome the abject failure of Vostok 3KA-1, which had been destroyed by misfiring rockets just 15 days prior to the successful launch of our Vostok 3KA-2. In fact, Vostok 3KA-2, which cost an estimated 50 million rubles, or 75 million dollars, was such a triumph that Soviet decision-makers were convinced the time had come to launch the first man into space. James Oberg, the internationally recognized space expert and author, stated: "Vostok 3KA-2 was the key in the door for Gagarin’s flight." Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space on April 12, 1961, just 18 days after Vostok 3KA-2 flew on March 25, 1961.

This Vostok 3KA-2 capsule was later transferred from Koralev’s OKB-1 Design Studio near Moscow to D. I. Koslov’s Samara Design Bureau, where it became the prototype for many of the spy satellites used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. This capsule was then transferred to the Kuybyshev Training Institute in 1967 where it retained its top-secret status until 1986, when its classification was lifted during the era of Glasnost. Remarkably, Vostok derived craft are still in use today.

As the twin sister of the first craft to fly man into the cosmos, and an important avatar of the Russian space program, this capsule is perhaps the most significant space vehicle ever offered for exhibit and sale.

K09150

K09150

P. 1: Space Collection Introduction
P. 2: Space Collection Featured Item
P. 3: Space Collection Collection Highlights
P. 4: Space Collection Inventory