Ivan Ivanovich (Vostok programme)

Not to be confused with SuitSat.
Ivan Ivanovich on display at the National Air and Space Museum in 2013
Full Ivan Ivanovich display

Ivan Ivanovich (Иван Иванович, the Russian equivalent of "John Doe") was the name given to a mannequin used in testing the Soviet Vostok spacecraft in preparation for its crewed missions.[1]

Ivan Ivanovich was made to look as lifelike as possible, with eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes, and a mouth. He was dressed in a cosmonaut suit and strongly resembled a dead person; for this reason, a sign reading "МАКЕТ" (Russian for "dummy") was placed under his visor so that anyone who found him after his missions would not think he was a corpse or an alien.[2]

  1. ^ "Ivan Ivanovich: Test Flight Mannequin". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  2. ^ Megan Garber (March 28, 2013). "The Doll That Helped the Soviets Beat the U.S. to Space". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 14, 2023.