1960-s PARACHUTE HARNESS PSPK-1 OF THE FIRST SOVIET COSMONAUTS OF VOSTOK PROGRAM

Description: maxuta_id="032022" 1960-s PARACHUTE HARNESS PSPK-1 OF THE FIRST SOVIET COSMONAUTS OF VOSTOK PROGRAM It's offered to your attention the parachute harness PSPK-1 designed for the first Soviet cosmonauts - participants of 1960-s Vostok program, including Yury Gagarin. Its abbreviated name stands for Russian "parashutnaya sistema prizemleniya kosmonavta" what can be translated as "parachute system for cosmonaut landing". General information Developed in the early 1960s at NPP "Zvezda" for the Soviet Vostok program. Weight - about 20 kg (44 pounds US). Enabled first 6 cosmonauts' landing from an altitude of 4 km (13,123 feet) after separation from ejection seat. Used in 1961 - 1963, including for 2 "Ivan Ivanovich" dummies, as well as the first 6 cosmonaut landings. Provenance Based on the first owner statements, this particular harness is believed to be used for safety landing of one of the dummies "Ivan Ivanovich" launched in 1961 with a dog prior Gagarin flight. After the space flight the harness was used for training of the future cosmonauts, as well as subsequently at the manufacturing facility for component failure testing. It has been decommissioned in the middle of 1960-s due to the closure of Vostok program, and then saved by one of the retired Zvezda testers who managed to restore its elements that had failed during the tests. Condition Despite its age, the overall esthetic condition of the parachute harness is good. All elements are intact and mechanically functional. The pneumatic mechanisms and barometric altimeters were not checked for operability. Metal elements of the harness have traces of corrosion and dirt. Fabric elements have signs of natural ageing and color fading, without visible damage. Some cable housings are cracked and have slight wear-related imperfections that have no effect on their functionality. COA is included with the item. How it worked The spacecraft Vostok had no soft-landing system. That's why Vostok cosmonauts landed separately from the capsule, using their own parachutes with this PSPK-1 harness. After the re-entry, at the altitude of about 7,000 meters, the hatch was jettisoned. Two seconds later the cosmonaut rocketed away from the capsule with the ejection seat, deploying the breaking chute what was pulled out from the upper part of the ejection seat. The main cosmonaut's parachute deployed soon after that. At the altitude of 4,000 meters, the ejection seat separated from cosmonaut, dropped down without parachute and wrecked, while the cosmonaut continued landing on earth under their own parachute system PSPK-1. In case of the main parachute failure, the spare cosmonaut's parachute was kept in the "backpack" of the parachute harness. It could be deployed automatically by means of the universal combined parachute semi-automatic device, or manually by pulling the ring on the left strap of the harness. The Vostok capsule landed separately under its own parachute. To test the parachute system PSPK-1 dummies, dubbed "Ivan Ivanovich" were flown and ejected on two test flights prior Vostok launch. These test flights cleared the way for Yury Gagarin's first manned space flight around the earth on 12 April 1961. Design features and unique "know-how" The following technical solutions were applied to PSPK-1 parachute harness: fail-safe adjustable belts for holding the cosmonaut's legs and shoulders with a pre-tensioning mechanism and a lock equipped with a quick-release mechanism for all associated belts at the same time; a special container for packing the reserve parachute in, that includes an automatic release, as well as equipped with a steel cable passing through metal-reinforced holes at the edge of the backpack; a mechanism for cocking parachute actuators when the ejection seat leaves the capsule; barometric altimeters with timers for both the main and reserve parachutes, along with a mechanical drive for parachute release; a lock with the option of quick release of the risers of the main parachute in case of its failure; the opportunity of manually and automatically releasing the reserve parachute; lacing technology, which was also used for spacesuits; automatic or manual releasing of the container with a portable survival kit from the parachute harness and its suspension on a long strap for relieving the cosmonaut's locomotorium when landing; mechanism to double the survival kit container strap's length in case the container catches on an obstacle on the ground; inflatable rubber collar in the event of a splashdown, which is inflated automatically under the pressure of compressed air from its cylinder, when submerged; electrical wiring, connectors and sockets for communications and medical purposes; a sturdy frame with a corrugated-metal rear part to protect the cosmonaut in case of a hard landing. Exclusive Soviet space techniques. Free global delivery! --> Please scroll down for the photos! PSPK-1 photos PSPK-1 general front view PSPK-1 general back view Another view from the back From left-back view Emergency supply (NAZ) release handle. Parts of parachute release mechanism. Wiring and connectors. Parts of parachute release mechanism. Barometric altimeter with timer for parachute actuator. Another view of barometric altimeter with timer for parachute actuator. Roller. Pressurized air container for inflatable collar. Pressurized gas cylinder for auxiliary parachute automatic actuator. Medical waist socket. Another medical waist socket. Parachute releaser actuating mechanism hawsers. Quick release OSK lock (to release main parachute risers if it does not deploy). Auxiliary parachute manual releaser "red ring" handle. Shoulders and legs belts lock with one belt locked. Shoulders and legs belts lock unlocked. Belt adjustment mechanism. Air hose with connector on its end. The place for packing the parachute. Bottom part (seat) handles. Parachute release mechanism hawser and medical sockets. Medical connector socket. Parachute actuators cocking mechanism. Communication connection sockets. Barometric altimeter with timer for parachute actuator. Pneumatic and electric sockets. Reference photos Vostok cosmonaut with parachute backpack PSPK-1. Permanent exhibition of national economy achievemnets, Moscow, USSR. Spacesuit and parachute equipment of Vostok cosmonaut. Permanent exhibition of national economy achievemnets, Moscow, USSR. Back side of PSPK-1 with released parachute (photo from the book). Bottom part of PSPK-1 packed with NAZ survival kit (photo from the book). The contents of Vostok cosmonaut NAZ survival kit (photo from the book). Vostok cosmonaut on ejection seat (photo from the museum of NPP Zvezda). Included with the item The COA in Russian. More unique Soviet and Russian space collectibles are available! Improve your space collection with real things! Happy buying!

Price: 19995 USD

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End Time: 2024-12-13T11:22:22.000Z

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