Soyuz 3

Infobox Space mission
mission_name = Soyuz 3
insignia = Soyuz-3-patch.png sign = Аргон (Argon - "Argon")
crew_members = 1
launch = October 26, 1968
08:34:18 UTC
Gagarin's Start
landing = October 30, 1968
07:25:03 UTC
duration = 3d/22:50:45
orbits = 64
next =
previous = Soyuz 2
mass = 6575 kg
perigee = 183 km
apogee = 205 km
inclination = 51.7°
period = 88.3 min |

Soyuz 3 was the first manned launch of a Soyuz spacecraft since the accident that killed cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov on Soyuz 1. That ill-fated flight had been intended to rendezvous and dock with Soyuz 2; now Soyuz 3 with cosmonaut Georgi Beregovoi would attempt this goal.

Ground controllers were able to bring the two spacecraft within 200 m of one another before Beregovoi took control of the Soyuz to complete the maneuver. Unfortunately, while he was able to close the gap to only one metre, three successive attempts to dock failed. Eventually, almost all of the maneuvering fuel was expended and the objective had to be abandoned. The failure was blamed on Beregovoi's piloting.

The plane crash that killed Yuri Gagarin occurred during Beregovoi's training for this mission.

Crew

Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.
*Georgi Beregovoi (1)

Backup crew

*Vladimir Shatalov

Reserve crew

*Boris Volynov