Voskhod 1: Three Cosmonauts, One Capsule, No Pressure Suits
Voskhod 1 launched three cosmonauts on October 12, 1964. Compare their roles, the capsule changes and the risks behind the first multi-person spaceflight.
Read the articleSoviet Space Program Articles
Research articles and On This Day stories from the Soviet space program, with declassified files, mission records and the people behind them.
11 articlesResearch & primary sources
Sputnik Anniversary 2026: Celebrations Around the World
Sputnik anniversary celebrations in 2026 include a Dhaka festival, Russian commemorations and World Space Week. Compare dates, activities and original sources.
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Luna 3 Photos: The First View of the Moon's Far Side
Luna 3 photographed the Moon's far side on October 7, 1959. Follow the film-to-radio process and separate the photography date from launch and transmission.
Read the articleSputnik 1's Signal: What the Beeps Proved on October 4, 1957
Sputnik 1 launched on October 4, 1957. Examine its radio signal, the difference between launch and tracking, and the dates its transmitter and orbit ended.
Read the articleLuna 16: The Moon Sample That Came Home Without Astronauts
Luna 16 returned lunar soil on September 24, 1970. Follow its launch, landing and return in a sourced timeline of the first robotic Moon sample mission.
Read the articleNikolai Kamanin's Diary: A Space Race Warning on September 8, 1965
Nikolai Kamanin's diary entry for September 8, 1965 blamed Soviet space difficulties on money and management. Read the warning in its historical context.
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Cosmos 361: A Soviet Spy Satellite Launched September 8, 1970
Cosmos 361 launched on September 8, 1970. Compare its public mission record with its identification as a Zenit-4M Soviet reconnaissance satellite.
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How America Spied on the Soviet Space Program
A U-2 found the Soviet rocket base before Sputnik. Then spy satellites counted every missile silo and photographed the Moon-rocket pads at Baikonur. The declassified reconnaissance story.
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What Kennedy Really Said About the Space Race, on Tape
On his secret White House tapes, John F. Kennedy admitted he was 'not that interested in space', except as a race to beat the Soviets. What the recordings reveal about the Moon shot.
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What the CIA Secretly Knew About the Soviet Space Program
Declassified National Intelligence Estimates show the CIA tracked the Soviet Moon rocket, watched it fail, and called the race, often years before the public knew. Inside the spy files on the Soviet program.
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How Much Did the Soviet Space Program Actually Cost?
There is no official number, and there never was. What the CIA estimated, what the Soviet Union finally admitted in 1989, and why a single clean dollar figure is impossible.
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