The Soviets launched three people into space today in a Voskhod spacecraft.

Three people. In a vehicle that’s essentially a modified Vostok, which was designed for one. To fit three people, they removed the ejection seat that Gagarin and the other Vostok cosmonauts used for landing (the Vostok actually ejected its pilot, who parachuted down separately — the capsule landed hard). They also removed the spacesuits. The crew of three flew in street clothes with no pressure protection.

If the cabin depressurized, they would die. There is no backup. They have no suits.

The Soviet program made this choice — three people without spacesuits rather than one or two with them — because three is more impressive than two, and being first with three is more impressive than being second with two after Gemini.

I find this troubling. It’s a safety regression, not a progression. The Voskhod program appears to be designed primarily for propaganda value — to accumulate “firsts” — rather than as a scientific or engineering development program. Three people is a first. First spacewalk (from Voskhod 2 next year, reportedly) will be a first. These are real achievements, but they’re packaged in a program that seems to be taking shortcuts.

The contrast with Mercury, which carefully added capability one mission at a time and never flew without life support that could handle a decompression, is stark. Whether that comparison favors the Soviets (bolder, faster) or the Americans (more careful, more systematic) depends on whether Voskhod and its cosmonauts survive.

So far, so good. The three Voskhod crew members are alive and apparently healthy.

But I keep thinking: no suits.