ApolloHoax.net
Off Topic => General Discussion => Topic started by: Jason Thompson on November 22, 2015, 10:01:22 AM
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Yesterday we paid a visit to the Cosmonauts exhibition in the Science Museum, London. It was a great opportunity to see some actual hardware, documents, memorabilia and artwork from the Soviet era, much of which had never been outside the former Soviet Union before. The main highlights for me were:
The LK lunar lander engineering model. Seeing it up close and personal was amazing. It was larger than I expected, but still I would have admired any cosmonaut who had flown it down the lunar surface and back alone.
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/JasonTT/IMG_1635.jpg) (http://s275.photobucket.com/user/JasonTT/media/IMG_1635.jpg.html)
The Vostok 6 re-entry module. Interesting to see how much space there was inside compared to a Mercury or Gemini spacecraft, and to note how the entire interior was covered in some felt-like material.
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/JasonTT/IMG_1624.jpg) (http://s275.photobucket.com/user/JasonTT/media/IMG_1624.jpg.html)
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/JasonTT/IMG_1625.jpg) (http://s275.photobucket.com/user/JasonTT/media/IMG_1625.jpg.html)
The Voskhod 1 re-entry module. Nothing really conveys the sheer insanity of cramming three men into one of those things the way that standing next to it and seeing just how cramped in is in there with three couches does.
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/JasonTT/IMG_1623.jpg) (http://s275.photobucket.com/user/JasonTT/media/IMG_1623.jpg.html)
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/JasonTT/IMG_1621.jpg) (http://s275.photobucket.com/user/JasonTT/media/IMG_1621.jpg.html)
In addition there were engineering models of some of the early Sputnik and Luna probes, as well as a Lunokhod rover and some Soyuz and Mir materials. AN excellent exhibition and worth the price of admission for space nuts such as ourselves. Any of you who can get to London, the exhibition costs £14 and tickets can be booked here:
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/cosmonauts.aspx
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I'm intrigued by the felt-like material because, as I understand space travel, velour is not an option.
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It seems like nothing ever good comes here, HOME of NASA!
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...the exhibition costs £14...
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/cosmonauts.aspx
Only £13 if you're my age. I went last Wednesday, agree with your comments, especially Voskhod.
There's a book of the exhibition available for £30, see the Science Museum website if you can't actually visit.
I was told that the LK had never been on public display before, not even in Russia. By the way, you could nip downstairs afterwards and compare it with a full-size LM model.
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Am I the only one who thinks of the Martian "cylinders" from the 1950s movie version of War of the Worlds when I see the early spherical Russian manned spacecraft?
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Am I the only one who thinks of the Martian "cylinders" from the 1950s movie version of War of the Worlds when I see the early spherical Russian manned spacecraft?
I wonder if the design was more to have a less precise orbital decay process control with ablative material all over the craft? The design is similar to the cyclinders for sure.