Respect for gagarin. And komorov for not letting his friend taking his place . Really nice to see you online Amy. Love your content, (and your books x).
Gagarin as the First Cosmonaut was forbidden to fly in space again by the Politburo. Whether Gagarin knew this or not is unknown. He was by this time head of the Soviet Cosmonaut Training Programme.
@@sycove1 Komorov was such a baller before the launch he order his funeral to be an open casket so the soviet leaders would see what they had done to him.
@@sycove1 if komorov refused to go the gagarin would have to take his place. Komorov knew the craft wasn't up to scratch and had a good chance at failing.he went anyways to protect his best friend
What I find interesting are parallels between this incident and Challenger. Certain political imperatives can overcome scientific and technical expertise to make disaster inevitable, regardless of the ideological foundations of the system.
Nope. By the time of the Challenger the manned program had become more of an afterthought at the national level. The failures were more related to job preservation than to political pressure.
As a Russian I’m glad to see you covering the other side of the spacerace wich is sadly often ignored or left behind in the west. Greetings from Rostow ;)
I dont know, it seems to me that many in the west romanticise the Soviet space program and hold it in higher esteem than the American side. I think thats cause foreign seems mysterious and romantic, where as the west tend to wear their faults up front. It also helps a little that the Soviets were so secretive. Theres tons of videos on the Soviets and Americans and very few on anyone else from what ive seen
In the US, much of space program success or failure was revealed to the world in near real time. It seems that the Soviet space activities aren't so much ignored as are still not generally public knowledge. Note that Amy mentioned a number of details were unknown or in dispute.
While the Soviet space program's darkest hours may have been Soyuz 1 and Salyut 1, I would say its finest hour was the Soyuz T-15 mission. To date, still the only space mission to have a crew travel from one space station to a different space station (then back! They were the "opening crew" of Mir, and the "closeout crew" of Salyut 7 - launched to Mir, traveled to Salyut 7 for 50 days, then back to Mir.)
I don't know much about Russian space travel history so the first thing I thought when you said Mir was "oh right that's the one that crashed in the wrong place and nobody got free tacos"
I used to listen to the cosmonauts on Mir talking to the ground as their spacecraft rose & then set over me in Devon, UK. I still miss hearing those voices from orbit.
Had Soyuz-2 launched, the crew would almost certainly have been killed too as the craft had the same issues with the parachute system. Komarov´s problems with the solar panels probably saved three cosmonauts lives as their launch got scrubbed.
Another great focus. I’m increasingly amazed at your ability to continually turn out videos with new material... it must be challenging. Again, thank you!
Hi Amy, I have been watching The Vintage Space for just over a year. I have an aerospace engineering degree, as well as an MBA. I am currently the sales director of a large US aerospace corporation. Thanks for all of your work on The Vintage Space. I thought I was obsessive with NASA developments when I was growing up. Yet, I always find new things to learn from watching your channel. Please continue your good work!
I love how much backstory about the lead up into this tragedy you've covered, it's probably the most complete retelling of Komarov's crash. I also like that your interstitial scenes have Kerbal Space Program-like music, that's a nice touch.
Keep sharing..my son loved space. He loved your analysis and thought that be something he wanted to do. But his genius was flawed by anxiety. He passed away on Oct 9th. Fentanyl. But he loved your channel. Keep doing what you do. We watched one of the launches where you were one of the expert commentators. Thank you for giving my son and I an technicalities of space. Love ya and thank you.
Go Fever was a sometimes fatal disease. NASA and the American astronauts were aware of it in the 1960s, yet generally complacent about it. Then it bites you in the ass, like Apollo 1 and Soyuz 1.
"Two Sides of the Moon" by David Scott and Alexei Leonov is a really good look at that era and the competition between the two space programs. Leonov was in the command center and gives his accounts of the reentry problems, saying that the drogue did deploy but didnt pull the main chute out. witnesses in a nearby town reported seeing the chutes out but not filled with air, simply spinning unopened
It’s not really forgotten. We just don’t have access to the archives and the film footage. And then, of course, there’s the language problem. You might also say we see too little about Japanese and Chinese history.
Great episode, Amy. I came only to 'poke my head in' for a couple of minutes to see what was up but, instead, ended up staying the entire 22 minutes! Now THAT's entertainment!
Fascinating - The Soviet space story is undersold but no less heroic or gripping. Looking forward to the next video. Thanks for your passion and hard work :)
I always love the fun little details you share like the bit about the Voskhod 2 landing and re-entry. They flesh out the overall story quite nicely and make everything a bit more relatable. Keep up the great work!
Oh wow! I learned like 95% more in this video than in all the apollo related ones!! Hhaha I really hope the russian space program gets more attention, despite it being difficult to obtain information for. It is very interesting to see the cultural and political differences between both usa and russia (ex USSR) and of course the outcome as well: soyuz is now a very reliable (and old!) spacecraft on top of a soyuz rocket that just... works! Keep up the good work!
Much respect for the Soviet guys, flying without multiple redundancy systems - they really had to have brass 'nads. I always remember Yuri's Night, 12 April
Amy, thanks for this delightful post. Like many others who commented, I find the exploits of the men who served as Cosmonauts truly heroic, just as heroic as their Astronaut counterparts. The story of Komarov’s tragic flight of Soyuz I has had some variations, the majority you cover very well, but the one common thread of each version is Yuri Gagarin’s concern for his friend and how deeply upset Gagarin was by Komarov’s tragic death. These men were heroes, though they flew under a rival flag to my own, they were human and achieved great things through significant risk to their lives in often less than ideal circumstances. As much as I love NASA and America’s astronaut program, I’ll always gladly take a moment to salute the bravery of the cosmonauts.
and not only the Russians we now have the Chinese onboard and probably India as well. Space has truly become an international aspect. however more cooperation amongst our different nations should become paramount as doing so will save countless lives in the future.
I read somewhere Laika survived for several hours after lift off, I know he/she wasn't expected to survive but not even surviving the ascent is a horribe thing. As Amy said the Soviets kept very quiet about their cosmonaut missions and it's (even now) hard to know what happened.
Laika survived the ascent, but lasted only a couple of orbits. The satellite, however, had malfunctions and the overheat and stress killed the poor dog. That's the final report and confirmed by the scientists and engineers involved. The thing is, this report wasn't made public until the late eighties, little before the fall of the USSR...
@@dragonmac1234 When their space station more recently impacted a Progress resupply vehicle, the Russians where practicing an impossible manoeuvre: docking the vehicle without the radar. This because the radar was made by an Ukrainian company, and after the Soviet dissolution this company refused to supply more radars. Think, the Space Station had an American astronaut onboard and both he and NASA hadn't been informed of the risky operation.
I used to own a copy of James Oberg's book "Red Star In Orbit" (published around 1980) which is a fascinating, if understandably incomplete, history of the Soviet Space programme. In the 90s, the BBC made a 3 part documentary with the same title which Oberg contributed greatly to.
When my father was alive, he always claimed he had known guys in the Air Force when he worked in signal intelligence that said they had heard Soviet cosmonauts on multiple missions begging Soviet ground control for their lives. Dad said he didn't believe we would ever know how many space fatalities the Soviets actually had. And yes I know that this is now hearsay and at least third-hand. Perhaps a Freedom of Information Act request to the Air Force or to NSA for such reports would be helpful. I'm sure my dad is up in heaven rooting for you to get that info. He'd have loved your channel as much as I do.
As always love your content and your choices! I welcome your dive into the Soviet Program. I am an American space junky (since the 60s) married into a Russian family. I realized I had to teach them the history of their own space program. The more I researched this the more I realized how much the entire Soviet Program is still very murky. We truly don't know how many cosmonauts died in the early attempts. The early cosmonauts were truly spam in a can and not nearly as well educated and experience as the American Mercury 7 ( Gagarin 27 yo, Shepard 38 yo, Glenn 40 yo). There was even more seat of the pants and less attention to astronaut safety in the Soviet program was to some degree part of their early supremacy in achievements. There remains the very robust story in the space community that Vladimir Ilyushin was truly the first cosmonaut in space but accidentally landed in China. The greatest advantage was Korolev and his firm grasp on the program in general. His genius, focus, and iterative management of the program (much like SpaceX). The program truly lost its focus under Vasily Mishkin. I would really appreciate it if you could dive into the story of Vladimir Ilyushin (the history or not). In any case, he and his father are giants of the early Soviet Aerospace.🥰🖖🏼
Interesting yet morbid fact: Komarov knew he was going into effectively a suicide mission, so he insisted in his will and to friends that he be given a funeral with an open casket- forcing all the high-level people who signed off on his death to see his mangled, burned body. To see what they had done. There’s a photo available on the Internet if you really want to see.
Yuri Gagarin actually tried to push Komarov off the list and take his place. He thought that the Soviets wouldn't risk sending a national hero to space in an experimental rocket.
I am a fellow Historian buff. I was an aviation mechanic in the Navy, and I authored a book about WW2 German ships. Thank You for your channel. I love it. I am a Sub.
К звездам! Покойся с миром полковник Влади́мир Миха́йлович Комаро́в. Отважный человек, спасший своего друга. Не может быть высшей чести. I tried my best with my translation. If it is wrong, I mean no disrespect. It should say... "With glory to the stars! Rest in peace Colonel Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov. A brave man who saved his friend. There can be no higher honour."
Great video, but a mistake at 8:45: the cosmonauts also stayed aboard their spacecraft during the landings of the Voskhod missions. There wasn't space for ejection seats, that was one of the modifications to fit more people into the Vostok frame.
I just received an order in the mail that I thought you would enjoy hearing about. I ordered a copy of the November 18, 1957 Life magazine with, none other than, Dr. Wernher von Braun on the cover with an early moon rocket model! Having been born and still living in Huntsville Alabama as well as finishing up an Aerospace Engineering degree I found this a must-have item. This officially starts my collection of vintage space paraphernalia. I will likely never have the collection you already do but odds are many pieces of the collection I will one day make have not been made yet! And lastly my oldest daughter said if you are ever in Huntsville she would like to show you the Space and Rocket Center here.
Quick note, according to one of the engineers working on Sputnik 2, Laika did in fact survive ascension into orbit. In fact, she managed to orbit Earth a few times. However, she died prematurely, due to a system regulating temperature malfunctioning; the heating was permanently on, causing the temperature to rise to above 40C. This was the alleged reason for her death. Amazing video, I enjoyed it so much, thank you!
Repost from "Why I Don't Like the Space Shuttle [Amy's Soabpox]""Being a child of the 1950s and 1960s, I can completely appreciate your focus and appreciation of the space programs during that time and eschewing the Shuttle. Yeah, I kept up with the Shuttle and took the day off work the day of the Challenger tragedy; however, I was 12 when Apollo 1 had the fire, I skipped school and cried. I'm much older now and still can't talk about that tragedy with tear-free eyes. I am a retired educator and a lifelong student of history and a graduate degree to prove it, but my interests span from before the end of the 19th Century and restart again about the time Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier... As evidence of things space-related, the job I retired from was introducing computers, then the internet, then wireless laptops, and things that came afterward to a school system with many locations as well as a state university across a WAN. Most every topic I taught to students, staff, and faculty was based on space analogies. My mad space science scheme was to make everyone love space history as much as I do, but the verdict is still out on that goal! I am still shocked, appalled, and somewhat depressed when I encounter people, especially educators, who aren't as immersed in vintage space as I am,. What's wrong with them???
I echo those sentiments. I remember skipping recess in elementary school to listen to the space launches on the school public address. Here in Asheville, NC there is a seniors learning institute with courses you can take. Last year I took "Mercury Program" and this year is "Gemini Program" taught by a very talented retired engineer that used to work for NASA.
@@rustnrot Tell me a little more about those programs, please, and if they are one day or run on a schedule. Once COVID is over after I get me a shot in my hind-end, Asheville isn't that far from me -- It'd be an overnight stay, but I haven't been to Asheville in years. My family migrated from that area a few years back, errrr after the American Revolution. It'd be great to have a website that consolidates all the space-related classes, presentations, and such open to the public and those for seniors. Once the Falcon 9 and Crew-1 were off the pad good, I was outside looking for it from N.E. GA. Probably not even close to seeing it, but they're still enough kid in me to hope it was visible.
She's so ridiculously attractive I have a hard time concentrating on what she's saying, but which sucks because in general, she has basically the best content about the history of space flight on the whole internet. I kinda wish she wasn't one of the hottest women I know of.
@Johnny Dominguez - good for you Johnny - I doubt everyone here is simping for Amy - women do appreciate a compliment on their mere appearance occasionally - even in 2020
Thanks for keeping the early space era alive. I was a teenager during the Mercury Program and avidly followed Gemini and Apollo right up to the moon landing of Apollo 11. I got to meet Shorty Powers, known as the "voice of Project Mercury" when he came through my home town. It was a very exciting time. Thans for the info on Vladimir Komarov. Much of it was new to me, and it appears his death was entirely attributable to political maneuverings and pressure to achieve the project's goals before the technology was actually ready. By the way, you look and sound almost identical to my granddaughter Celine, whom I love dearly. Keep up the excellent work. I'm glad to see you back doing these space-related videos again.
I was born 2 years before Sputnik so I have been fortunate enough to experience it all. But there was MUCH that was not explained at the time, especially within the Soviet program. Your videos are filling in many of the gaps that I have been missing for many years. I was able to see a Gemini paraglider at the Air and Space Museum in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I took a few pictures. I remember reading about it long ago, but your piece on the subject was great. Thanks so much for the hard work.
One NASA astronaut (Peggy Whitson?) once said abut the typical Soyuz crash landing that each landing is a good landing when you are able to walk away after.
Love that Betty Page hair style! My dad was head of advance planning for ICBM development at Thiokol from 1960 to 1963. I was in mid grade school at the time. A lot of secrets went across his desk at home...
Space pushes technology to its limits, unfortunately it pushes humans beyond theirs, courageous efforts from both sides which should be documented equally in respect of those who risk all. Thanks Amy, super interesting :)
Try Mikhail Gorbachev. Before he became Soviet Premier he was the Soviet Consulate General in Scotland, and was apparently very fond of single malt Scotch whisky.
I believe they drank brandy. Whiskey was not common in the USSR. Still, either way, a bad idea to drink alcohol in a winter survival situation, but very Russian.
I think about Komarov and Soyuz 1 a lot, it's yet another example of political/managerial pressure resulting in human consequences. Very excited for the video on the Soviet space program, there's a lot of fascinating stuff there which is often overlooked.
I would highly recommend the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS if you are interested in the Soviet space program. You can see actual soviet capsules and other hardware from the era. Oh, on top of being able to see a Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo modules.
Uh, no,, Amy, Laika did NOT die during the ascent of Sputnik 2, but made it safely to orbit, where she completed at least three orbits before succumbing to the defects in the environmental control systems, which caused the temperature rise which eventually killed the dog.
@@patricklambrecht380 I am sorry, but your information is incorrect. She died, but she died several hours after launch while in Earth orbit. She did not die during ascent, as Amy incorrectly indicated.
@@1sorryham Died in 20 minutes or within hours is not really the point, is it? She was cooked alive on a one way trip, with no intention to bring her back alive from the start. Lot of controversy, even at that time iirc. And worst of all, the Soviets admitted later they didn't learn much.
The vibe in your voice as well as your screen presence clearly demonstrates your commitment to, and the passion for, the topic of space history. A joy to watch, thank you 💪💪💪
Well done Amy. Please keep up the good work, your uploads have real historical value and are appreciated by many of us. ( just subscribed, don't know why I haven't before ! )
Young lady, YOU FRIGGIN ROCK! Thank you for the highly detailed and very informative history lesson. I am a child of the Apollo era and stayed glued to every news source I could find. However, the Soviets were secretive as you said and I don't remember ever hearing anything about their missions - especially the failures. Thanks again for the excellent job you do.
Absolutely great presentation. I was going to comment on how I could her watch all day without sound. Instead I was blown away by her subject matter and her ability to deliver a fascinating story.
Clearly, a guy who made sure he stayed with the flight to save a friend and nearly got the thing back (given all the manual stuff required in a flawed vehicle), means that whatever the Russian words are for "The Right Stuff", Comrade Komarov had it in spades.
Similar point. .. could you please make a video on any issues when, say, Neil Armstrong landed back on earth were raised that needed improvement. The point here is that the great brains at NASA tried to think over everything, yet it would be great to see what they over looked. Kind of, theory vs reality of space travel...
3:08 Korabel is the Russian word for small ship; it's English cognate is coracle. Coracle is a rare word but there it is. This may be why that popular space flight simulator uses the term "Kerbal"?
Leonov said that when he heard about the Apollo 13 accident HE one of the heroes of the officially atheistic USSR said a prayer for our astronauts and their safe return to Earth. See? Some things DO transcend politics. There's some hope for humanity left with universal attitudes like that under the surface of our petty disputes and rivalries.
Like all Americans my age, I remember Soyuz 1, but it's great to get these details which of course were not available at the time. Indeed, all I remember was the papers saying that the cosmonaut's parachute was "tangled".
These people put theirs lives in the hands of others for the "bettement of man". Whether bad luck or poor design/decisions, these guys were heroes. Respect!
The fact that Gagarin died a year later of a plane crash under mysterious circumstances makes this all the sadder. Edit: Apparently crash not mysterious. Still sad.
Not mysterious. Yuri's good friend would eventually tell exactly what happened. An Su-15 pilot (not named to protect him) filed a plan to fly at 33,000 but came down to 2,000 where Yuri was flying a much smaller aircraft. The larger craft flew close to the smaller craft and put Yuri's into a spin, he lost control and died. Soviets covered it up because of the lack of aircraft control so close to Moscow was an embarassment and a security issue. I think that's how the interview went.
👩💻I am a 65 year old American woman, who lived through and watched, the space race and enjoy studying the subject. I had never heard, in this much detail, about a USSR space mission. In fact growing up, I never heard of but rarely, of a fatal mission from the USSR in the newspapers. My father kept close tabs on the space race and made the comment because of the political atmosphere that was ruling the USSR we as Americans or the World did not hear about the space failures during the communist regime's existence. My dear friend in Rostow, it is not that the USSR efforts good or bad were not told; they were never shared to be forgotten. Much love and peace.🙋♀️🪔🌠🖖🐞🔆🔆🔆🥰
Really well done! I used to make all of the rocket kits as a kid, over 50 years ago, and I developed an avid fascination with all things space. Thank you for making this part of space history ‘live’ again.
amy! komorovs good friend gagaren(sp?) was given back his wings after the face off with the cccp. we want to know how they made the mig crash no mayday, no bailout, .etc.. the cccp has been dead and gone for decades now, will we ever truely know?
Fantastic dress. Very haloween apropos! I thought Soyuz 1 was the one that had the parachute problem. I thought the main chute had problems deploying, and the backup got tangled in the half-deployed main. Am I thinking of a different Soyuz? Very cool video. Soyuz has overall been a great program with a fantastic safety record overall, but yeah, it got off to a really bad start. Fortunately it ended up that only 1 spacecraft and 1 human were lost, rather than 2 and 4.
Apollo 1 had many similarities in that it was a early block 1 design . It had numerous flaws - so many crew hung a lemon in it to express displeasure at the design problems The 3 man crew died in flash fire Jan 27 1967 during a launch rehearsal the fire being fueled by pure O2 at over 16 psi
You're right that the block one command module was rushed, and poorly designed and constructed -- but Grissom actually hung the lemon over the CM simulator... The simulation programs were way behind the design of the hardware, causing endless frustration over incompatible systems.
Respect for gagarin. And komorov for not letting his friend taking his place .
Really nice to see you online Amy. Love your content, (and your books x).
Gagarin as the First Cosmonaut was forbidden to fly in space again by the Politburo. Whether Gagarin knew this or not is unknown. He was by this time head of the Soviet Cosmonaut Training Programme.
@@sycove1 Komorov was such a baller before the launch he order his funeral to be an open casket so the soviet leaders would see what they had done to him.
@@sycove1 if komorov refused to go the gagarin would have to take his place. Komorov knew the craft wasn't up to scratch and had a good chance at failing.he went anyways to protect his best friend
@@gorgeousginger8405 And did he? get an open casket?
@@l00t3R Who died anyways a year later. His fighter jet crashed, don't know what caused that. Final destination anyone?
What I find interesting are parallels between this incident and Challenger. Certain political imperatives can overcome scientific and technical expertise to make disaster inevitable, regardless of the ideological foundations of the system.
Or Colombia, where mission control was aware of the damaged tiles on the port wing leading edge.
so, Soviet engineers were told to 'put on their management hat' too?
It's called "Normalization of Deviance".
"Get-there-itis" kills a lot of pilots, sailors, astronauts, cosmonauts. . . .
Nope. By the time of the Challenger the manned program had become more of an afterthought at the national level. The failures were more related to job preservation than to political pressure.
As a Russian I’m glad to see you covering the other side of the spacerace wich is sadly often ignored or left behind in the west.
Greetings from Rostow ;)
Yes!! There is ALL kinds of "vintage space" available to discuss if we include the Russians!!! It's a must do!!
I dont know, it seems to me that many in the west romanticise the Soviet space program and hold it in higher esteem than the American side.
I think thats cause foreign seems mysterious and romantic, where as the west tend to wear their faults up front. It also helps a little that the Soviets were so secretive.
Theres tons of videos on the Soviets and Americans and very few on anyone else from what ive seen
@@nicosmind3 what? Amy has barely made any Russian Vintage Space videos. The field seems wide open to me
Snek
In the US, much of space program success or failure was revealed to the world in near real time. It seems that the Soviet space activities aren't so much ignored as are still not generally public knowledge. Note that Amy mentioned a number of details were unknown or in dispute.
While the Soviet space program's darkest hours may have been Soyuz 1 and Salyut 1, I would say its finest hour was the Soyuz T-15 mission. To date, still the only space mission to have a crew travel from one space station to a different space station (then back! They were the "opening crew" of Mir, and the "closeout crew" of Salyut 7 - launched to Mir, traveled to Salyut 7 for 50 days, then back to Mir.)
I don't know much about Russian space travel history so the first thing I thought when you said Mir was "oh right that's the one that crashed in the wrong place and nobody got free tacos"
I used to listen to the cosmonauts on Mir talking to the ground as their spacecraft rose & then set over me in Devon, UK.
I still miss hearing those voices from orbit.
@@Aengus42 Can't you still listen to the International Space Station?
That is so cool
@@twistedyogert You can. There is just a small Time Window but its totally possible and they even answer you.
Had Soyuz-2 launched, the crew would almost certainly have been killed too as the craft had the same issues with the parachute system.
Komarov´s problems with the solar panels probably saved three cosmonauts lives as their launch got scrubbed.
More Soviet content? Yes please.
yep when i hear that i be twistin backwoods kick back before i hit the hood
The soviets were rushin into space too soon
@@decimated550 just the same as NASA was. Go Fever is very contagious.
Do you really think she'd say nyet? I hope not!
RIP Komorov and Laika.
F :'(
Another great focus. I’m increasingly amazed at your ability to continually turn out videos with new material... it must be challenging. Again, thank you!
Hi Amy, I have been watching The Vintage Space for just over a year. I have an aerospace engineering degree, as well as an MBA. I am currently the sales director of a large US aerospace corporation. Thanks for all of your work on The Vintage Space. I thought I was obsessive with NASA developments when I was growing up. Yet, I always find new things to learn from watching your channel. Please continue your good work!
No matter your country of orgin, every Astronaut was a true hero
Absolutely!
Brave yes, but first and foremost they were canon fodder.
Very brave and tough
@JA Reese
Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do. If you give a 100% there’s always a chance.
@JA Reese
Best of luck to you!🍻
Your videos should be part of a curriculum on space history.
I love how much backstory about the lead up into this tragedy you've covered, it's probably the most complete retelling of Komarov's crash.
I also like that your interstitial scenes have Kerbal Space Program-like music, that's a nice touch.
Keep sharing..my son loved space. He loved your analysis and thought that be something he wanted to do. But his genius was flawed by anxiety. He passed away on Oct 9th. Fentanyl. But he loved your channel. Keep doing what you do. We watched one of the launches where you were one of the expert commentators. Thank you for giving my son and I an technicalities of space. Love ya and thank you.
😔 Very sorry for your loss
The quality of your videos just keeps getting better. I learned so much from this one video
Was waiting for this video to come out! Thanks Amy.
You've probably already heard this but the slayut 7 rescue might be a interesting video idea. Great video as always!
The notification for this video just brightened my day!
Geez, We weren’t the only ones that had “launch fever”!
Go Fever was a sometimes fatal disease. NASA and the American astronauts were aware of it in the 1960s, yet generally complacent about it. Then it bites you in the ass, like Apollo 1 and Soyuz 1.
"Two Sides of the Moon" by David Scott and Alexei Leonov is a really good look at that era and the competition between the two space programs. Leonov was in the command center and gives his accounts of the reentry problems, saying that the drogue did deploy but didnt pull the main chute out. witnesses in a nearby town reported seeing the chutes out but not filled with air, simply spinning unopened
Love seeing Soviet history on your channel- it’s too often forgotten in the west
TRUE
It’s not really forgotten. We just don’t have access to the archives and the film footage. And then, of course, there’s the language problem. You might also say we see too little about Japanese and Chinese history.
My library here has books dedicated entirely to Soviet space history.
Great episode, Amy. I came only to 'poke my head in' for a couple of minutes to see what was up but, instead, ended up staying the entire 22 minutes! Now THAT's entertainment!
A wonderful presentation! Thank you so much! Fascinating! I was born in 1957, so I got to watch a lot of space news in the 60's and on!
Fascinating - The Soviet space story is undersold but no less heroic or gripping. Looking forward to the next video. Thanks for your passion and hard work :)
I always love the fun little details you share like the bit about the Voskhod 2 landing and re-entry. They flesh out the overall story quite nicely and make everything a bit more relatable.
Keep up the great work!
Oh wow! I learned like 95% more in this video than in all the apollo related ones!! Hhaha I really hope the russian space program gets more attention, despite it being difficult to obtain information for. It is very interesting to see the cultural and political differences between both usa and russia (ex USSR) and of course the outcome as well: soyuz is now a very reliable (and old!) spacecraft on top of a soyuz rocket that just... works!
Keep up the good work!
Much respect for the Soviet guys, flying without multiple redundancy systems - they really had to have brass 'nads. I always remember Yuri's Night, 12 April
Amy, thanks for this delightful post. Like many others who commented, I find the exploits of the men who served as Cosmonauts truly heroic, just as heroic as their Astronaut counterparts. The story of Komarov’s tragic flight of Soyuz I has had some variations, the majority you cover very well, but the one common thread of each version is Yuri Gagarin’s concern for his friend and how deeply upset Gagarin was by Komarov’s tragic death. These men were heroes, though they flew under a rival flag to my own, they were human and achieved great things through significant risk to their lives in often less than ideal circumstances. As much as I love NASA and America’s astronaut program, I’ll always gladly take a moment to salute the bravery of the cosmonauts.
and not only the Russians we now have the Chinese onboard and probably India as well. Space has truly become an international aspect. however more cooperation amongst our different nations should become paramount as doing so will save countless lives in the future.
When you're playing KSP and you hear KSP music on the video and you get confused as to where it's coming from
I didn't know that Laika didn't even survive the ascent. I had the idea that it ran out of air.
I thought it overheated in orbit after a few hours
I read somewhere Laika survived for several hours after lift off, I know he/she wasn't expected to survive but not even surviving the ascent is a horribe thing. As Amy said the Soviets kept very quiet about their cosmonaut missions and it's (even now) hard to know what happened.
Laika survived the ascent, but lasted only a couple of orbits. The satellite, however, had malfunctions and the overheat and stress killed the poor dog. That's the final report and confirmed by the scientists and engineers involved. The thing is, this report wasn't made public until the late eighties, little before the fall of the USSR...
@@dragonmac1234 When their space station more recently impacted a Progress resupply vehicle, the Russians where practicing an impossible manoeuvre: docking the vehicle without the radar. This because the radar was made by an Ukrainian company, and after the Soviet dissolution this company refused to supply more radars. Think, the Space Station had an American astronaut onboard and both he and NASA hadn't been informed of the risky operation.
@@toxicwasteofspace9762 their*
I used to own a copy of James Oberg's book "Red Star In Orbit" (published around 1980) which is a fascinating, if understandably incomplete, history of the Soviet Space programme. In the 90s, the BBC made a 3 part documentary with the same title which Oberg contributed greatly to.
When my father was alive, he always claimed he had known guys in the Air Force when he worked in signal intelligence that said they had heard Soviet cosmonauts on multiple missions begging Soviet ground control for their lives. Dad said he didn't believe we would ever know how many space fatalities the Soviets actually had. And yes I know that this is now hearsay and at least third-hand.
Perhaps a Freedom of Information Act request to the Air Force or to NSA for such reports would be helpful.
I'm sure my dad is up in heaven rooting for you to get that info. He'd have loved your channel as much as I do.
As always love your content and your choices! I welcome your dive into the Soviet Program. I am an American space junky (since the 60s) married into a Russian family. I realized I had to teach them the history of their own space program. The more I researched this the more I realized how much the entire Soviet Program is still very murky. We truly don't know how many cosmonauts died in the early attempts. The early cosmonauts were truly spam in a can and not nearly as well educated and experience as the American Mercury 7 ( Gagarin 27 yo, Shepard 38 yo, Glenn 40 yo). There was even more seat of the pants and less attention to astronaut safety in the Soviet program was to some degree part of their early supremacy in achievements. There remains the very robust story in the space community that Vladimir Ilyushin was truly the first cosmonaut in space but accidentally landed in China. The greatest advantage was Korolev and his firm grasp on the program in general. His genius, focus, and iterative management of the program (much like SpaceX). The program truly lost its focus under Vasily Mishkin.
I would really appreciate it if you could dive into the story of Vladimir Ilyushin (the history or not). In any case, he and his father are giants of the early Soviet Aerospace.🥰🖖🏼
Interesting yet morbid fact: Komarov knew he was going into effectively a suicide mission, so he insisted in his will and to friends that he be given a funeral with an open casket- forcing all the high-level people who signed off on his death to see his mangled, burned body. To see what they had done. There’s a photo available on the Internet if you really want to see.
You mean the photo in this video's thumbnail?
Yuri Gagarin actually tried to push Komarov off the list and take his place. He thought that the Soviets wouldn't risk sending a national hero to space in an experimental rocket.
I am a fellow Historian buff. I was an aviation mechanic in the Navy, and I authored a book about WW2 German ships. Thank You for your channel. I love it. I am a Sub.
You must enjoy navel service. What is the title & publisher of your book? (jj)
К звездам! Покойся с миром полковник Влади́мир Миха́йлович Комаро́в. Отважный человек, спасший своего друга. Не может быть высшей чести.
I tried my best with my translation. If it is wrong, I mean no disrespect. It should say...
"With glory to the stars! Rest in peace Colonel Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov. A brave man who saved his friend. There can be no higher honour."
Great video, but a mistake at 8:45: the cosmonauts also stayed aboard their spacecraft during the landings of the Voskhod missions. There wasn't space for ejection seats, that was one of the modifications to fit more people into the Vostok frame.
I just received an order in the mail that I thought you would enjoy hearing about. I ordered a copy of the November 18, 1957 Life magazine with, none other than, Dr. Wernher von Braun on the cover with an early moon rocket model! Having been born and still living in Huntsville Alabama as well as finishing up an Aerospace Engineering degree I found this a must-have item. This officially starts my collection of vintage space paraphernalia. I will likely never have the collection you already do but odds are many pieces of the collection I will one day make have not been made yet! And lastly my oldest daughter said if you are ever in Huntsville she would like to show you the Space and Rocket Center here.
I trust you have seen his famous presentations he did for/with Disney?
@@5Andysalive That I have. I'd like to buy a copy one day if I get time to look it up. lol
Quick note, according to one of the engineers working on Sputnik 2, Laika did in fact survive ascension into orbit. In fact, she managed to orbit Earth a few times. However, she died prematurely, due to a system regulating temperature malfunctioning; the heating was permanently on, causing the temperature to rise to above 40C. This was the alleged reason for her death.
Amazing video, I enjoyed it so much, thank you!
Thank you for your service Laika!! ALL ANIMAL LIVES MATTER! Stop animal experiments! Protect our fellow Earthlings! ❤❤❤
Repost from "Why I Don't Like the Space Shuttle [Amy's Soabpox]""Being a child of the 1950s and 1960s, I can completely appreciate your focus and appreciation of the space programs during that time and eschewing the Shuttle. Yeah, I kept up with the Shuttle and took the day off work the day of the Challenger tragedy; however, I was 12 when Apollo 1 had the fire, I skipped school and cried. I'm much older now and still can't talk about that tragedy with tear-free eyes. I am a retired educator and a lifelong student of history and a graduate degree to prove it, but my interests span from before the end of the 19th Century and restart again about the time Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier... As evidence of things space-related, the job I retired from was introducing computers, then the internet, then wireless laptops, and things that came afterward to a school system with many locations as well as a state university across a WAN. Most every topic I taught to students, staff, and faculty was based on space analogies. My mad space science scheme was to make everyone love space history as much as I do, but the verdict is still out on that goal!
I am still shocked, appalled, and somewhat depressed when I encounter people, especially educators, who aren't as immersed in vintage space as I am,. What's wrong with them???
I echo those sentiments. I remember skipping recess in elementary school to listen to the space launches on the school public address. Here in Asheville, NC there is a seniors learning institute with courses you can take. Last year I took "Mercury Program" and this year is "Gemini Program" taught by a very talented retired engineer that used to work for NASA.
@@rustnrot Tell me a little more about those programs, please, and if they are one day or run on a schedule. Once COVID is over after I get me a shot in my hind-end, Asheville isn't that far from me -- It'd be an overnight stay, but I haven't been to Asheville in years. My family migrated from that area a few years back, errrr after the American Revolution. It'd be great to have a website that consolidates all the space-related classes, presentations, and such open to the public and those for seniors.
Once the Falcon 9 and Crew-1 were off the pad good, I was outside looking for it from N.E. GA. Probably not even close to seeing it, but they're still enough kid in me to hope it was visible.
Great video Amy (as always) thanks for the history.
Here's to the heroes lost to space, and the many more we likely don't know about
Yes to bad they were all soviets, I'm not counting the three Americans they died on land, and the Soviets died in space
Another great video, Amy!
The wardrobe this month has been absolutely fantastic!!! Amy you got good taste.
Like the new title splash and the new look Amy.
She's so ridiculously attractive I have a hard time concentrating on what she's saying, but which sucks because in general, she has basically the best content about the history of space flight on the whole internet.
I kinda wish she wasn't one of the hottest women I know of.
@@LeoStaley she is indeed unbelievably attractive.
The cleavage does make the space history harder to concentrate on. But I get over it pretty fast.
@Johnny Dominguez - good for you Johnny - I doubt everyone here is simping for Amy - women do appreciate a compliment on their mere appearance occasionally - even in 2020
I had to watch it a second time to concentrate on the parts I missed the first time.
@Johnny Dominguez I see intelligence as more important. Beauty is an afterthought.
I would hope after his sacrifice we all acknowledged Starfleet's first Captain to give his life for the needs of his friend.
You brought up some details that I hadn't heard before. Great content!
Am I only one who's thinking, that Amy did very good job with prononciation of Russian names/last names? :-)
Yes.
Yes you are....
Considering her credentials I would expect nothing less from her.
@@timmainson
She has impressive.... credentials
Actually her pronunciation is kinda crap, but she's an historian, not a linguist, so meh.
Russian names are pretty easy, just become a hockey fan and you'll perfect pronunciation in short order.
Well... When I clicked on the thumbnail, I really don't expected that what I saw at very beginning...
Thanks.
I always thought Laika overheated while in orbit. Also, I was under the impression that Komorov's remains consisted of only a charred heel bone.
Thanks for keeping the early space era alive. I was a teenager during the Mercury Program and avidly followed Gemini and Apollo right up to the moon landing of Apollo 11. I got to meet Shorty Powers, known as the "voice of Project Mercury" when he came through my home town. It was a very exciting time.
Thans for the info on Vladimir Komarov. Much of it was new to me, and it appears his death was entirely attributable to political maneuverings and pressure to achieve the project's goals before the technology was actually ready.
By the way, you look and sound almost identical to my granddaughter Celine, whom I love dearly. Keep up the excellent work. I'm glad to see you back doing these space-related videos again.
The Voskhod crew also stayed in the capsule, as there wasn´t room for an ejection seat for all crew members
I was born 2 years before Sputnik so I have been fortunate enough to experience it all. But there was MUCH that was not explained at the time, especially within the Soviet program. Your videos are filling in many of the gaps that I have been missing for many years. I was able to see a Gemini paraglider at the Air and Space Museum in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I took a few pictures. I remember reading about it long ago, but your piece on the subject was great. Thanks so much for the hard work.
Fascinating stuff, Amy!
One NASA astronaut (Peggy Whitson?) once said abut the typical Soyuz crash landing that each landing is a good landing when you are able to walk away after.
Great detail to the tragic story of Soyuz 1 and brave Cosmonaut Komorov, may he RIP 😔 🇷🇺
Love that Betty Page hair style!
My dad was head of advance planning for ICBM development at Thiokol from 1960 to 1963. I was in mid grade school at the time. A lot of secrets went across his desk at home...
I'd love to see Amy do a video or two with Scott Manley:).
I'd like to do a video or 2 with her as well 😂😂😂
I believe she already has.
@@bridgecross Do you have a link to the video?
@@nicholasmaude6906 I think they did 4 together, some doing Kerbal. Just do a UA-cam search 'scott manley amy teitel"
@@bridgecross Thanks.
Best rundown on this topic I've seen yet, very good.
Space pushes technology to its limits, unfortunately it pushes humans beyond theirs, courageous efforts from both sides which should be documented equally in respect of those who risk all.
Thanks Amy, super interesting :)
The fact he knew it was a death trap but went anyways to save yuri gargaran makes gargarns death in a training crash a year later more heart breaking
I love your style........I'm still living in 1978. Cheers.
I'm totally hooked on this channel. FINALLY the algorithm hooked me up!!
7:07 Vodka!
What Russian drunk whiskey?
TRUEЪ
First think I though too... 🤣
Try Mikhail Gorbachev. Before he became Soviet Premier he was the Soviet Consulate General in Scotland, and was apparently very fond of single malt Scotch whisky.
I believe they drank brandy. Whiskey was not common in the USSR. Still, either way, a bad idea to drink alcohol in a winter survival situation, but very Russian.
Russians drink all kind of alcohol... Beer and wine are widespread. Wine and beer portions were regular combat rations for soviet soldiers in WWII.
Only videos I hit the like button before I even watch them. You know they’re going to be good. Thanks!
I think about Komarov and Soyuz 1 a lot, it's yet another example of political/managerial pressure resulting in human consequences.
Very excited for the video on the Soviet space program, there's a lot of fascinating stuff there which is often overlooked.
I would highly recommend the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS if you are interested in the Soviet space program. You can see actual soviet capsules and other hardware from the era. Oh, on top of being able to see a Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo modules.
She did visit it recently, search for it.
Uh, no,, Amy, Laika did NOT die during the ascent of Sputnik 2, but made it safely to orbit, where she completed at least three orbits before succumbing to the defects in the environmental control systems, which caused the temperature rise which eventually killed the dog.
No, she died in 20 minutes after departure, cooked alive.
@@patricklambrecht380 I am sorry, but your information is incorrect. She died, but she died several hours after launch while in Earth orbit. She did not die during ascent, as Amy incorrectly indicated.
@@1sorryham I also agree, I understand she lived shortly into orbit. But best leave sleeping dogs lie 😉
Well, if you have a good source that would be most helpful..
@@1sorryham Died in 20 minutes or within hours is not really the point, is it? She was cooked alive on a one way trip, with no intention to bring her back alive from the start. Lot of controversy, even at that time iirc. And worst of all, the Soviets admitted later they didn't learn much.
Saw you on Space Disasters! It was fun to see you and I hope you enjoyed the experience and hopefully exposure to an even wider audience!
The vibe in your voice as well as your screen presence clearly demonstrates your commitment to, and the passion for, the topic of space history. A joy to watch, thank you 💪💪💪
And she is very pretty
Finally got to watch this. Thanks. Got both your books on audible. I was so glad to hear you did the reading on the one.
Could you do a video on the N1 rocket, I find it fascinating.
Well done Amy. Please keep up the good work, your uploads have real historical value and are appreciated by many of us.
( just subscribed, don't know why I haven't before ! )
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
or woman, just saying.
amen
If it's a woman you would say 'Amen Baby'. Also just saying
@@lawless201 can you not
@Southeastern777 don't be a dick, you know what I meant
Great video. Thanks so much
October has been very good to me today.
Young lady, YOU FRIGGIN ROCK!
Thank you for the highly detailed and very informative history lesson. I am a child of the Apollo era and stayed glued to every news source I could find. However, the Soviets were secretive as you said and I don't remember ever hearing anything about their missions - especially the failures. Thanks again for the excellent job you do.
Always enjoy your videos. I show them to my girls, another great female role model!
Absolutely great presentation.
I was going to comment on how I could her watch all day without sound. Instead I was blown away by her subject matter and her ability to deliver a fascinating story.
Clearly, a guy who made sure he stayed with the flight to save a friend and nearly got the thing back (given all the manual stuff required in a flawed vehicle), means that whatever the Russian words are for "The Right Stuff", Comrade Komarov had it in spades.
His skill was perfect and to put it in DnD terms kept rolling 20s but his craft failed him.
"Правильная вещи."
@@JohnnyWishbone85 Thank you
@@JohnnyWishbone85 "Правильные"?
@@lhawes92 Yeah, that's the correct one.
Good thing about you on YT, you're very nice to listen to.
Similar point. .. could you please make a video on any issues when, say, Neil Armstrong landed back on earth were raised that needed improvement. The point here is that the great brains at NASA tried to think over everything, yet it would be great to see what they over looked. Kind of, theory vs reality of space travel...
3:08 Korabel is the Russian word for small ship; it's English cognate is coracle. Coracle is a rare word but there it is.
This may be why that popular space flight simulator uses the term "Kerbal"?
Leonov said that when he heard about the Apollo 13 accident HE one of the heroes of the officially atheistic USSR said a prayer for our astronauts and their safe return to Earth. See? Some things DO transcend politics. There's some hope for humanity left with universal attitudes like that under the surface of our petty disputes and rivalries.
Like all Americans my age, I remember Soyuz 1, but it's great to get these details which of course were not available at the time. Indeed, all I remember was the papers saying that the cosmonaut's parachute was "tangled".
These people put theirs lives in the hands of others for the "bettement of man". Whether bad luck or poor design/decisions, these guys were heroes. Respect!
Fantastic job Amy, thank you for sharing!
I'd like to see an in-depth analysis of the Soyuz 11 decompression accident.
Great work, as always. Thank you Amy!
My god. I seem to have developed A.D.D. since tapping the thumbnail. 😶
So politicians and bureaucrats ignoring scientists, engineers and specialists isn't a good idea. There's food for thought.
The fact that Gagarin died a year later of a plane crash under mysterious circumstances makes this all the sadder.
Edit: Apparently crash not mysterious. Still sad.
It's not that mysterious, high performance aircraft from that era were really goddamn dangerous and crashed constantly.
Not that mysterious, bad weather and cold war jets. The attrition rate in all Air Forces from the 50,s onwards was horrendous.
Not mysterious. Yuri's good friend would eventually tell exactly what happened. An Su-15 pilot (not named to protect him) filed a plan to fly at 33,000 but came down to 2,000 where Yuri was flying a much smaller aircraft. The larger craft flew close to the smaller craft and put Yuri's into a spin, he lost control and died. Soviets covered it up because of the lack of aircraft control so close to Moscow was an embarassment and a security issue. I think that's how the interview went.
Not mysterious. He was shot down.
@@thatoneguy8894 😂
👩💻I am a 65 year old American woman, who lived through and watched, the space race and enjoy studying the subject. I had never heard, in this much detail, about a USSR space mission. In fact growing up, I never heard of but rarely, of a fatal mission from the USSR in the newspapers. My father kept close tabs on the space race and made the comment because of the political atmosphere that was ruling the USSR we as Americans or the World did not hear about the space failures during the communist regime's existence. My dear friend in Rostow, it is not that the USSR efforts good or bad were not told; they were never shared to be forgotten. Much love and peace.🙋♀️🪔🌠🖖🐞🔆🔆🔆🥰
Engineering Team: we must automate the system to prevent human error. Cosmonauts: who is building and automating the capsule? Aliens?
Really well done! I used to make all of the rocket kits as a kid, over 50 years ago, and I developed an avid fascination with all things space. Thank you for making this part of space history ‘live’ again.
I'm absolutely fascinated with Komorov and the Soyuz disaster
amy! komorovs good friend gagaren(sp?) was given back his wings after the face off with the cccp. we want to know how they made the mig crash no mayday, no bailout, .etc..
the cccp has been dead and gone for decades now, will we ever truely know?
What a great narration and history lesson. Thank you!
imagine you do such unbelievable job to get back to atmosphere with all these issues and then you get greeted with faulty parachute...
Fantastic dress. Very haloween apropos!
I thought Soyuz 1 was the one that had the parachute problem. I thought the main chute had problems deploying, and the backup got tangled in the half-deployed main. Am I thinking of a different Soyuz?
Very cool video. Soyuz has overall been a great program with a fantastic safety record overall, but yeah, it got off to a really bad start. Fortunately it ended up that only 1 spacecraft and 1 human were lost, rather than 2 and 4.
Never mind. You talked about it slightly later.
The photo at 19:40 is AMAZING. I could look at that for an hour. Wow!
Apollo 1 had many similarities in that it was a early block 1 design . It had numerous flaws - so many crew hung a lemon in it to express displeasure at the design problems
The 3 man crew died in flash fire Jan 27 1967 during a launch rehearsal the fire being fueled by pure O2 at over 16 psi
You're right that the block one command module was rushed, and poorly designed and constructed -- but Grissom actually hung the lemon over the CM simulator... The simulation programs were way behind the design of the hardware, causing endless frustration over incompatible systems.
Extremely interesting upload ! Thanks Amy 👍