- Stuffed dog Chernushka. USSR Space Program. Place of manufacture unknown. 1961. 61 x 31 x 41 cm. PSMHM collection: 2567 A. Photo: Didzis GrodzsChernushka was one of approximately 48 dogs that participated in the Soviet space exploration program from 1948-1961. They were used to test whether a living organism can withstand acceleration, weightlessness and the effects of cosmic radiation. On March 9, 1961, the puppy, flying with the spaceship "Sputnik", made one round of the orbit and successfully returned to Earth. The roughly 90-minute flight was a dress rehearsal for the first human space flight, which would take place 34 days later on April 12 by Yuri Gagarin.
- "Kazbek" cushioning chair of the "Soyuz" spacecraft. Inventor and maker unknown. Moscow. 1970. Aluminum, iron, kapron. 131 x 60 x 85 cm. PSMHM collection: MVM 32908 LA 15326. Photo: Didzis GrodzsThe chair is designed to be used in a semi-recumbent position to prevent blood from draining from the cosmonaut's head, which tends to cause unconsciousness during takeoff and landing. Casting the shape of the cosmonaut's body in a plaster bath, each chair was made individually so that the exact fit of the backrest to the cosmonaut's spine could reduce the body overload caused by acceleration. It is not known which Soviet cosmonaut this chair was adapted for. It is named after the peak of the Caucasus Mountains.
- Silicon crystal for radiation detection in space. United States Information Service/World Health Organization. 20th century 2nd party. The location of the photograph is unknown. Photo paper, silver gelatin. 20.5 x 25 cm PSMHM collection: F 30185/3The small silicon crystal seen on the left of the image was able to accurately detect radioactive radiation 1,000 times faster than any other device at the end of the 20th century. This radiation is invisible to humans. In space, radiation comes from atoms losing electrons as they move close to the speed of light. Radioactive radiation, passing through silicon, causes its electrons to flow, which creates a current pulse. It is recorded by devices used in the fields of astrophysics, medicine and material science. X-rays and gamma rays are commonly identified with these devices. Since the 1980s, silicon has been used in experiments by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
- A device for walking on the surface of the Moon United States Information Service/World Health Organization. 20th century 2nd party. The location of the photograph is unknown. Photo paper, silver gelatin. 20.5 x 25 cm PSMHM collection: F 30185/6The walking chair in the picture, with eight moving legs, weighed about 45 kg and moved at a speed of up to 5 km/h. Initially, this device was designed for movement on the surface of the Moon, but later the inventors adapted it for use by children with mobility impairments. Children liked the chair because it was related to space exploration and gave more freedom than a wheelchair. With it, it was possible to climb stairs, curbs and move on sandy beaches.
- Cosmonaut health check during physical exercise. V. Cheredintsev. 1969. The location of the photograph is unknown. Photo paper, silver gelatin. 18 x 24 cm. PSMHM collection: F 29884/2The Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Shatalov (1927-2021), shown in the picture, started training in the cosmonaut training group in 1963. The training improved the physical fitness and coordination of each future astronaut, and increased the ability to withstand the stresses of acceleration, heat, and reduced oxygen. During intense physical activities, he regularly underwent tests of the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. In 1969, V. Shatalov went on a space mission and was the first to independently connect two spaceships - his "Soyuz 4" with "Soyuz 5", which was carrying three other cosmonauts.
- Cosmonaut training. The photographer is unknown. 20th century 2nd party. Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Moscow Region. Photo paper, silver gelatin. 20 x 29 cm. PSMHM collection: MVM 23792 Ffp 5302Since 1980 in Russia, so-called In the Star City, there is a laboratory equipped to work underwater and simulate weightless conditions in space. It is intended for the training of the spacecraft crew, in which certain stages of the upcoming mission are tested. A large cylindrical water tank houses mock-ups of spacecraft modules. There, underwater, astronauts learn skills to work outside the spacecraft, such as how to conduct research, repair work, and apply various technologies.
- Installation of the launcher. A. Pushkarev, N. Akimov. 1975. The location of the photograph is unknown. Photo paper, silver gelatin. 18 x 24 cm. PSMVM collection: MVM 1228 Ff 219The Soyuz spacecraft program created by the USSR has been in operation since the 1960s and is the longest manned spacecraft program in the history of space exploration. "Soyuz" ships are carried into space by launchers. More than 1680 successful starts have been made with them. During the shooting of the picture, in 1975, the first joint space mission "Apollo - Soyuz" between the USA and the USSR took place with the aim of connecting the spaceships of the two countries. Mission cosmonauts Tom Stafford (1930-2024) and Aleksei Leonov (1934-2019) symbolically ended the space race with a handshake.
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Space Collection
The exploration of space has always captivated people but braving it without medical supplies and aids would not be possible. This collection features examples of specialised space suits, appliances and food used on space missions, and Latvian inventions for astronaut use.
The Museum’s collection of USSR space biology artefacts is significant not only for Latvia, but for all of the European Union. It includes various implements for conducting experiments such as the imitation of weightlessness on Earth, and instruments that were actually used on spaceships and in space missions. The collection is continually being expanded with contemporary Latvian inventions, such as the solar-reflective nanopowder developed by the Latvian High-temperature Synthesis Institute at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Academy of Sciences.
Stuffed dog Chernushka. USSR Space Program. Place of manufacture unknown. 1961. 61 x 31 x 41 cm. PSMHM collection: 2567 A. Photo: Didzis Grodzs
"Kazbek" cushioning chair of the "Soyuz" spacecraft. Inventor and maker unknown. Moscow. 1970. Aluminum, iron, kapron. 131 x 60 x 85 cm. PSMHM collection: MVM 32908 LA 15326. Photo: Didzis Grodzs
Silicon crystal for radiation detection in space. United States Information Service/World Health Organization. 20th century 2nd party. The location of the photograph is unknown. Photo paper, silver gelatin. 20.5 x 25 cm PSMHM collection: F 30185/3