Planets, moons and space

Vostok 1 spacecraft

The Vostok 1 spacecraft carried Yuri Gagarin, the first human to orbit Earth, during his 1961 spaceflight.

Also known as: Vostok spacecraft, Vostok 3KA

How big is it?

4.4 m long

Overall spacecraft length · approximate

Scale illustration of Vostok 1 spacecraft, calibrated to its overall spacecraft length measurement.
The marked overall spacecraft length represents 4.4 m.

A little perspective

About the same scale as Kepler space telescope.

Kepler space telescope: The Kepler space telescope was a NASA observatory launched to detect planets around other stars by monitoring changes in their brightness.

True scale
01
Vostok 1 spacecraft4.4 mOverall spacecraft length
02
Kepler space telescope4.7 mOverall observatory height
Both marked spans share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its proportions; poses and surface detail are illustrative.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +

Vostok 1 spacecraft

The Vostok 1 spacecraft was about 4.4 m long and 4,725 kg in its orbital configuration. The calibrated span includes the spherical descent module and instrument module, but not the launch vehicle.

NASA NSSDCA — Vostok 1

The marked overall spacecraft length is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Kepler space telescope

NASA’s Kepler observatory was about 4.7 m high and had a launch mass of 1,052 kg. The height includes the deployed sunshade but not an imagined launch vehicle.

NASA — Kepler mission in depth

The marked overall observatory height is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Change your perspective

Put it next to…

Choose a suggestion to redraw the comparison, or open its page to learn what it is.

About this thing
About this thing
About this thing
About this thing
About this thing
About this thing

The full collection

Choose something to compare.

Loading compatible things…

Why this measurement?

Why we use 4.4 m

For comparison, this page uses overall spacecraft length. This is labelled approximate; the central value is useful for comparison, while real values or measurement solutions can vary.

The Vostok 1 spacecraft was about 4.4 m long and 4,725 kg in its orbital configuration. The calibrated span includes the spherical descent module and instrument module, but not the launch vehicle.

The marked vertical span follows the named feature; transparent margins and unmeasured details do not alter it. How calibrated comparisons work →

Explore planets, moons and space →

Recorded properties

Vostok 1 spacecraft dimensions and measurements

PropertySelected valueRecorded rangeBasis
4.4 mNot recordedapproximate
4.725 t4.7 t to 4.73 tapproximate

Around this scale

Go smaller. Go bigger.

These links use compatible length records, ordered around the selected value.

Sources and method

Want to check the number?

The source records and measurement method remain available for inspection.

Read the measurement and artwork methodology →

There’s always another scale

Follow your curiosity.

Explore things ↗

Share a little perspective.