Korabl-Sputnik 4[1] (Russian: Корабль-Спутник 4 meaning Ship-Satellite 4) or Vostok-3KA No.1, also known as Sputnik 9 in the West,[2] was a Soviet spacecraft which was launched on 9 March 1961. Carrying the mannequin Ivan Ivanovich, a dog named Chernushka, some mice and the first guinea pig in space, it was a test flight of the Vostok spacecraft.[3]
Mission type | Biological Technology |
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Harvard designation | 1960 Theta 1 |
COSPAR ID | 1961-008A ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 91 |
Mission duration | 1 hour, 41 minutes |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Vostok-3KA |
Manufacturer | OKB-1 |
Launch mass | 4,700 kilograms (10,400 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 9 March 1961, 06:29:00 (1961-03-09UTC06:29Z) UTC |
Rocket | Vostok-K 8K72K s/n E103-14 |
Launch site | Baikonur 1/5 |
End of mission | |
Landing date | 9 March 1961, 08:09:54 (1961-03-09UTC08:09:55Z) UTC |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Perigee altitude | 173 kilometres (107 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 239 kilometres (149 mi) |
Inclination | 64.93 degrees |
Period | 88.6 minutes |
Sputnik program |
Korabl-Sputnik 4 was launched at 06:29:00 UTC on 9 March 1961, atop a Vostok-K carrier rocket flying from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.[1] It was successfully placed into low Earth orbit. The spacecraft was only intended to complete a single orbit, so it was deorbited shortly after launch, and reentered on its first pass over the Soviet Union. It landed at 08:09:54 UTC, and was successfully recovered. During the descent, the mannequin was ejected from the spacecraft in a test of its ejection seat, and descended separately under its own parachute.[4]
Vostok programme | ||
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Uncrewed |
| |
Crewed | ||
Cancelled | Vostok 7 to 13 (incorporated into Voskhod programme) | |
Related |
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← 1960 · Orbital launches in 1961 · 1962 → | |
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Samos 2 | Tyazhely Sputnik | Venera 1 | Explorer 9 | Discoverer 20 | Discoverer 21 | Transit 3B · LOFTI-1 | S-45 | Korabl-Sputnik 4 | Korabl-Sputnik 5 | Explorer 10 | Discoverer 22 | Discoverer 23 | Vostok 1 | Mercury-Atlas 3 | Explorer 11 | S-45A | Discoverer 24 | Discoverer 25 | Transit 4A · SOLRAD 3 · Injun 1 | S-55 | Discoverer 26 | TIROS-3 | Midas 3 | Discoverer 27 | Discoverer 28 | Vostok 2 | Explorer 12 | Ranger 1 | Explorer 13 | Discoverer 29 | Samos 3 | Discoverer 30 | Mercury-Atlas 4 | Discoverer 31 | Discoverer 32 | Midas 4 · Westford 1 | Discoverer 33 | DS-1 No.1 | Mercury-Scout 1 | Discoverer 34 | Discoverer 35 | Transit 4B · TRAAC | Ranger 2 | Samos 4 | Mercury-Atlas 5 | Zenit-2 No.1 | Discoverer 36 · OSCAR 1 | DS-1 No.2 | FTV-2203 | |
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in brackets. |