Live Telecast From Space

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29899, 13 August 1962, Page 9

Live Telecast From Space

(A.Z. Press Association— Copyright) MOSCOW, August 12. Watching a cosmonaut in space on television is a little like looking at a deep sea diver at the bottom of an underwater snowstorm. v

That was the impression a British United Press reporter got from the image on Moscow television of Russia s third cosmonaut. Major Andrian Nikolayev. The picture lurched from side to side. Little bits of white—like pieces of paperdrifted across the screen. A piece of string wavered slowly back and forth m a state ot weightlessness A pencil floated into view The pilot reached out m slow motion and grabbed it. Major Nikolayev was wearing a white helmet. His head and entire body appeared to be in a bulky space suit that resembled a diver’s suit. At one point he picked up his flight-log which was white Stamped on its cover, •he seal of the USSR, could be clearly seen The log hovered m front of the cosmonaut’s face. He had to hold it while he turned the pages Slowly and dehberatelv he tied a oencil to it with'the wavering piece of string In spite ot his bulky appearance. Major Nikolayev’s hands were apparently bare and he had no trouble tying the string His arms seemed to move easily But his head remained relatively still He twisted it to catch sight of the pencil when it floated into view, but mostly he confined movement of that part of his body to his eyes The man-in-space television show was also shown by the British Broadcasting C< rpo-a’ion last night in England. Russians also heard a conversation between Soviet Prime Minister <Mr Khrushchev > and M»jor Nikolayev “I hear you well. I hear vou well.” Major Nikolayev said "Soviet Cosmonaut Nikolayev feeling excellent.

All systems functioning well." Mr Khrushchev replied from his Black Sea holiday residence: "1 have heard you. I am happy that the systems are working well and the state of your nealth is good 1 congratulate you and lam proud that you have done this great feat. Mr Khrushchev sent a message to Major Nikolayev say-

mg he had seen mm on the television. “I had a feeling as if you were somewhere very near. We have heard your cheerful voice, we have seen your lively eyes, the movement of your hands. “We have watched you work and are happy you fee! vourself well Your exploit, the flight of the spaceship Voctck 111. again rx’ol our Socialist motherland, her talented and industrial people, our scientists, engineers. technicians, workers and collective farmers," said Mr Khrushchev.