.jpg) Soyuz 3 commemorative postage stamp, USSR, 1968 | |
| Mission type | Test flight |
|---|---|
| Operator | Soviet space program |
| COSPAR ID | 1968-094A |
| SATCATno. | 03516 |
| Mission duration | 3 days 22 hours 50 minutes 45 seconds |
| Orbits completed | 81 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Soyuz 7K-OK No.10 |
| Spacecraft type | Soyuz 7K-OK (active) |
| Manufacturer | Experimental Design Bureau (OKB-1) |
| Launch mass | 6575 kg |
| Landing mass | 2800 kg |
| Dimensions | 7.13 m long 2.72 m wide |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 1 |
| Members | Georgy Beregovoy |
| Callsign | Аргон (Argon - "Argon") |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 26 October 1968, 08:34:18GMT |
| Rocket | Soyuz |
| Launch site | Baikonur,Site 31/6[1] |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 30 October 1968, 07:25:03 GMT |
| Landing site | Karaganda,Kazakhstan |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[2] |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 196.0 km |
| Apogee altitude | 241.0 km |
| Inclination | 51.66° |
| Period | 88.87 minutes |
 Soyuz 3 mission patch | |
Soyuz 3 (Russian:Союз 3,Union 3) was aspaceflight mission launched by theSoviet Union on 26 October 1968. Flown byGeorgy Beregovoy, theSoyuz 7K-OK spacecraft completed 81 orbits over four days. The 47-year-old Beregovoy was a decorated World War II flying ace and the oldest person to go into orbit up to that time. The mission achieved the first Russianspace rendezvous with theuncrewedSoyuz 2, but failed to achieve a planneddocking of the two craft. As of November 2025, this mission marks the last time a Soviet/Russian cosmonaut was launched alone to conduct an entirely solo orbital mission.
| Position | Cosmonaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Georgy Beregovoy Only spaceflight | |
| Position | Cosmonaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Vladimir Shatalov | |
| Position | Cosmonaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Boris Volynov | |
The Soviet space program had experienced great success in its early years, but by the mid-1960s the pace of success had slowed. While theVoskhod programme achieved the first multi-crewed spaceflight and firstextravehicular activity (EVA), problems encountered led to its termination after only two flights, allowing theUnited States to surpass the Soviet achievements with theProject Gemini. TheSoyuz programme was intended to rejuvenate the program by developingspace rendezvous anddocking capability, and practical extravehicular activity without tiring the cosmonaut, as had been demonstrated by the United States Gemini. These capabilities would be required for the Soviet manned Lunar landing program and theSalyut programme (space station).Soyuz 1 had been launched with the goal of docking with the crewedSoyuz 2 craft, but even before the second craft was launched, problems with Soyuz 1 made it clear that Soyuz 2 had to be cancelled before the landing of Soyuz 1. This saved the lives of the three-man Soyuz 2 crew; Soyuz 1 ended with the death of cosmonautVladimir Komarov on 23 April 1967, due to a faulty parachute system. Soyuz 2 would have flown with the same defective system as Soyuz 1. As a result, the Soyuz spacecraft was revised for Soyuz 2 and Soyuz 3 in 1968.
Soyuz 2 (capsule number 7K-OK-P No. 11)[3] was launched on 25 October 1968 as an uncrewed target vehicle for Soyuz 3 (capsule number 7K-OK-P No. 10),[3] which was launched the following day.[4] The launch of Soyuz 2 was not reported by the government, although other nations were aware through their own monitors.[5] It was not until Soyuz 3 was safely aloft that an official announcement was made.
The more conservative mission used Beregovoy as the single pilot, withVladimir Shatalov designated as his backup, andBoris Volynov in reserve. Enteringorbit and near Soyuz 2 a half-hour after launch,[6] Beregovoy gradually guided his craft within docking range (200 m (660 ft)) of his target.[7]
However, Beregovoy failed to achieve docking.[8][9] He failed to notice that Soyuz 2 was turned upside-down in relation to his craft, and used up too much of his maneuvering fuel in the attempt.[10]
He made a second rendezvous and docking attempt the next day, but again failed. Hours later, Soyuz 2 was sent back to Earth and landed by 07:51 GMT the next day. Beregovoy continued to orbit, makingtopographical andmeteorological observations for the next two days.[11] Beregovoy also treated television viewers to a "live" tour of the spacecraft interior.[12] In addition, the Soviets published a photo of Soyuz 3's launch vehicle on the pad at Baikonur, marking the first time that theR-7 was shown to the outside world.
Beregovoy and Soyuz 3 came back to Earth on 30 October 1968, after completing 81 full orbits of the Earth.[13] The descent module landed near the city ofKaraganda inKazakhstan, cushioned by a blizzard's snowfall.[14] Despite subzero temperatures, Beregovoy's landing was so easy he said later that he hardly felt the impact at all.[15] The Soviets hailed Soyuz 3 as a complete success. Beregovoy was promoted toMajor general and named director of the nationalCenter for Cosmonaut Training atStar City.
The Soviet government concealed the fact that docking had been unsuccessfully attempted. Contemporary Western news reports described the orbital mission of Soyuz 3 in the same manner as the Soviet press, referring to a "successful rendezvous" withSoyuz 2, but characterizing it as a test with no actual ship-to-ship docking planned.[16] This interpretation was largely accepted for years afterward.[17] The intended docking was disclosed only after the breakup of theSoviet Union.
The flight of Soyuz 3 had numerous effects on future space exploration both short- and long-term. The flawless recovery of Soyuz 3 left the spacecraft designers with the impression that re-entry and landing systems had been perfected: the crash-landing of theZond 6 satellite just one month later had been partly attributed to this mistaken sense of security.[18] The value of the outer space survey of Earth was a defining step in the development of the Soyuz program's grand strategy: the later evolution of space-based research platforms have roots in Beregovoy's lengthy and meticulous data-collection.[19] Even the failure of the space docking proved an experiential benefit to the Soviet space program: after the demoralizing catastrophe ofSoyuz 1, the credible achievements and safe return of Soyuz 3 breathed new life into the faltering program. New flights continued apace, and they put the knowledge gained from Soyuz 3 towards missions of increasing audacity and success.[20]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| Main topics |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Past missions (by spacecraft type) |
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| Current missions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Future missions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Uncrewed missions are designated asKosmos instead ofSoyuz; exceptions are noted "(uncrewed)". The † sign designates failed missions.Italics designates cancelled missions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch vehicles and ascent/upper stages |  | |
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| Spacecraft | ||
| Other hardware | ||
| Soyuzdocking tests | ||
| Zond (7K-L1/L1S) lunar flyby missions | ||
| LOK (7K-LOK/L1E) test missions | ||
| LK Lander (T2K) test missions | ||
The † sign designates failed missions.Italics designates cancelled missions. | ||
