Vostok 5

Vostok 5 was Valery Bykovsky's first spaceflight and one of the final missions of the Soviet Vostok program. It launched from Baikonur Site 1 on June 14, 1963 with Bykovsky flying alone under the call sign Yastreb, or Hawk. Two days later, Vostok 6 launched with Valentina Tereshkova, creating a paired Soviet flight in which the two spacecraft operated in orbit at the same time. Vostok 5 did not perform a true rendezvous, but the concurrent missions demonstrated longer-duration human spaceflight operations and produced a major public milestone for the Soviet program. Bykovsky landed on June 19, 1963 after just under five days in orbit. Spacefacts and GCTC both credit the flight as part of Bykovsky's three-flight career total, and GCTC lists his overall spaceflight time as 20 days, 17 hours, 48 minutes, and 21 seconds.