Cosmonauts Used ’Chutes

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29907, 22 August 1962, Page 13

Cosmonauts Used ’Chutes

He told 500 Russian and Western journalists at a press conference that “out of the window I saw smoke at first, then flames which changed from red to orange to yellow to blue. “Then I realised my doubts were unfounded and that everything was going according to plan,” he said. “Without my training I would have had a hard time of it. But because of my training I was able to take up a correct position and minimise discomfort. “As deceleration forces decreased it became like riding a cart on a bad road, ’ Major Nikolayev said. “I separated from the spaceship and landed by parachute.” After describing the training in detail Major Nikolayevtold the press conference that the two spaceships flew very close to each other. “We were, so to speak, able to shake each other's hand and con- • gratulate each other,” he said. Neither had experienced any discomfort due to weightlessness. There were no unpleasant sensations and that they had no difficulty in absorbing food. Major Nikolayev said he enjoyed most drinking "good cold Moscow water” he had on the ship He liked it better than all kinds of juices. Major Nikolayev said he left his spaceship in the lower atmosphere and landed by parachute. Major Nikolayev stopped reading from his notes and spoke spontaneously as he described his sensations and emotions while in orbit. He said at night he could even see the lights of mam streets—he also saw storms over earth. “When I first saw the moon I rejoiced" He said the moon illuminated the cabin so weU he could see all the switches inside it . The conference was opened by the president of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Mstislav Keldysh, who described the ‘‘first group flight” as a new milestone in interplanetary flight. Professor Keldysh said Major Nikolayev had got carried away and had deviated from the text to be distributed to pressmen He had given details that were not on the text and therefore the professor hoped journalists had taken notes of them. The journalists stood up as the two spacemen, smiling broadly, entered the ball Applause broke out and lasted nearly a minute. The two spacemen sat on a long platform behind a table covered in green oaize On a wall behind them was a huge portrait of Lenin. Professor Keldysh recalled that the cosmonauts “after the complete fulfilment of their programme landed with great precision in the area south of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, at a predetermined spot.” . Professor Keldysh said results of the scientific investigations made during the flights would be published The flight ‘‘has shown ways of making still more complex and prolonged space flights both orbiting the earth and other planets,” he said. The profess*” then kissed both spacemen on the cheeks and awarded them the Tsiolkovsky Medal, named after a Soviet astronomer who died in 1935. Russia’s first and second spacemen. Major Yuri Gagarin and Major Gherman Titov sat next to Nikolayev and Popovich Also attending were prominent scientists •ultural workers, public offi-

A.-Reuter— Copyright) MOSCOW, August 21. The Soviet spaceman, Major Andrian Nikolayev, revealed today that he landed by parachute after smoke and flame belched from his spaceship on re-entering the atmosphere. He said he had felt afraid and “wanted to kiss the earth when I landed.”

cials and members of the Diplomatic Corps. One of the first questions the cosmonauts were asked was: “What earthly souvenirs did you take with you into space?” Popovich opened his wallet and brought out a ribbon with the portrait of Lenin. He had taken it with him into space. A leading Russian expert in space biology and medicine, Professor Vladimir Yazdovsky said the problem of the effect of prolonged weightlessness on the human body was “one of the most important” in future space travel.

While he was speaking, written questions were being passed up to the platform— Professor Keldysh had said only written questions would be accepted. Major Gagarin, sitting next to Popovich, appeared to be reading most of the questions. Several times he turned to Lieutenant-Colonel Popovich and showed him a question, and the two men laughed together While Major Nikolayev had spoken haltingly, his space "twin.” Lieutenant-Colonel Popovich, spoke confidently and fluently. "One must not imagine that our flights were pleasure trips.” he said

“Some gentlemen across the ocean try to deny our flight and want proof of our having made it. What can one say to such gentlemen? Follow us into space, then you will see how such flights are made."

Lieutenant-Colonel Popovich said he also landed by parachute—l2s miles from Major Nikolayev Lieutenant-Colonel Popovich said the minimum distance between spaceships in flight was about three miles The spaceships each weighed about five tons Lieutenant-Colon el Popovich mentioned the glowing particles seen by Major Gagark) and Major Titov, and ’he American spaceman. Colonel John Glenn “We feel we understand these.” he said. “They are merely the exhaust of the rocket motors ”

He said Major Nikolayev’s spaceship had looked like a “very small moon in the distance”

Pro feasor Yaadovsky said Major Nikolayev and Lieutenant-Colonel Popovich “stood up well to the active part of the flight”—the launching During the High’ the cosmonauts’ orientation was disturbed only when they closed their eyes, he said The head of the technical sciences department of the Academy of Sciences, Professor Anatoli Blagonravov said the group flight fully proved the possibility of prolonged manned flights and of reaching the moon.