<P> Focused by the commitment to a Moon landing, in January 1962 the US announced Project Gemini, a two - man spacecraft that would support the later three - man Apollo by developing the key spaceflight technologies of space rendezvous and docking of two craft, flight durations of sufficient length to simulate going to the Moon and back, and extra-vehicular activity to accomplish useful work outside the spacecraft . </P> <P> Meanwhile, Korolev had planned further, long - term missions for the Vostok spacecraft, and had four Vostoks in various stages of fabrication in late 1963 at his OKB - 1 facilities . At that time, the Americans announced their ambitious plans for the Project Gemini flight schedule . These plans included major advancements in spacecraft capabilities, including a two - person spacecraft, the ability to change orbits, the capacity to perform an extravehicular activity (EVA), and the goal of docking with another spacecraft . These represented major advances over the previous Mercury or Vostok capsules, and Korolev felt the need to try to beat the Americans to many of these innovations . Korolev already had begun designing the Vostok's replacement, the next - generation Soyuz spacecraft, a multi-cosmonaut spacecraft that had at least the same capabilities as the Gemini spacecraft . Soyuz would not be available for at least three years, and it could not be called upon to deal with this new American challenge in 1964 or 1965 . Political pressure in early 1964--which some sources claim was from Khrushchev while other sources claim was from other Communist Party officials--pushed him to modify his four remaining Vostoks to beat the Americans to new space firsts in the size of flight crews, and the duration of missions . </P> <P> The greater advances of the Soviet space program at the time allowed their space program to achieve other significant firsts, including the first EVA "spacewalk" and the first mission performed by a crew in shirt - sleeves . Gemini took a year longer than planned to accomplish its first flight, allowing the Soviets to achieve another first, launching Voskhod 1 on October 12, 1964, the first spacecraft with a three - cosmonaut crew . The USSR touted another technological achievement during this mission: it was the first space flight during which cosmonauts performed in a shirt - sleeve - environment . However, flying without spacesuits was not due to safety improvements in the Soviet spacecraft's environmental systems; rather this innovation was accomplished because the craft's limited cabin space did not allow for spacesuits . Flying without spacesuits exposed the cosmonauts to significant risk in the event of potentially fatal cabin depressurization . This feat was not repeated until the US Apollo Command Module flew in 1968; this later mission was designed from the outset to safely transport three astronauts in a shirt - sleeve environment while in space . </P> <P> Between October 14--16, 1964, Leonid Brezhnev and a small cadre of high - ranking Communist Party officials deposed Khrushchev as Soviet government leader a day after Voskhod 1 landed, in what was called the "Wednesday conspiracy". The new political leaders, along with Korolev, ended the technologically troublesome Voskhod program, cancelling Voskhod 3 and 4, which were in the planning stages, and started concentrating on the race to the Moon . Voskhod 2 ended up being Korolev's final achievement before his death on January 14, 1966, as it became the last of the many space firsts that demonstrated the USSR's domination in spacecraft technology during the early 1960s . According to historian Asif Siddiqi, Korolev's accomplishments marked "the absolute zenith of the Soviet space program, one never, ever attained since ." There was a two - year pause in Soviet piloted space flights while Voskhod's replacement, the Soyuz spacecraft, was designed and developed . </P>

What affect did the cold war have on the american space program