Extraordinary prototype or display article of the SK-1 spacesuit made by NPP Zvezda for the Vostok program, which succeeded in placing the first human into space, Yuri Gagarin, in a single orbit in Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961. As such, the SK-1 has the unique distinction of being the first spacesuit ever used and, subsequently, has served as the basis for all future pressure suits conceived for Soviet and American space programs alike. The SK-1 was successfully used by cosmonauts for all six Vostok missions between 1961 and 1963.
This particular suit consists of an assemblage of components from the SK-1, other early Soviet pressure suit technology, and components either intended for mockup, or display.
Developed for use on the Russian Vostok spacecraft, the SK-1 was configured for both intra-vehicular activity and to interface with the Vostok ejection seat, which allowed for ejections up to 8 km (26,000 ft). The suit’s bright orange load-bearing Lavsan outer layer allowed recovery helicopters to more easily spot the cosmonaut on the ground or in the water, and the suit’s formidable non-removable helmet features a double visor that would close automatically for launch, reentry, and in case the Vostok capsule lost pressure. Similar to the one worn by Gagarin, the top of the helmet has been marked by hand in red paint, "CCCP," as is the back of the neck: "No. 41." The inner collar of the suit is likewise stamped "10" and marked in felt tip, "GBB" and "S."
The SK-1 is a ventilated space suit that utilized a separate ventilation system, and its inner layer is composed of a special insulating suit that incorporated ventilation pipes to maintain temperature, moisture, and help remove the carbon dioxide exhaled by the pilot. These pipes or hoses lead to a robust connection port marked on the top, "N 16," and bearing an engraved plate with matching number: "N 16." The suit additionally features leather-palm gloves, heavy leather boots, various pockets (one containing a wooden knife), and the right forearm contains a small mirror sewn into the sleeve to help the cosmonaut locate hard-to-see switches and gauges. In overall very good to fine condition, with instances of molding to lower torso, and various wear, marks, and scuffs, most noticeably to helmet and visor, the latter bearing a previous attempt to glue a fractured section of the visor back into place; a series of grommets have been applied to back of helmet, and other instances of modification may be present. An impressively early artifact of great significance to the history and success of space travel, and which also palpably denotes the intrepid and endless desire of mankind to discover the unknown.
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