This book is the first known work in the west dedicated to revealing the full story of the Vostok space missions, and the first fledgling steps off our planet. In Leaving the Planet authors Rex Hall and Dave Shayler review this Soviet demonstration of technological progress. The text examines both the developmental and operational aspects of the missions, which at the time were clouded in secrecy. This fascinating and important text features a significant amount of new material on the spacecraft, as well as the history, design and development of the launch vehicle. It also includes the full story of the men and women who trained for these missions, some of whom never flew.

Foreword.- Author's Introduction.- Acknowledgements.- Preface.- Part 1. Infrastructure: Origins. Chief Designers. Cosmodrome.- Part 2. Preparations: Cosmonauts. Spacecraft Design, Construction & Testing.- Part 3. Vostok Operations: Vostok 2 - 24 Hours in Orbit. Vostok 3 & 4 - The First Group Flight. Vostok 5 & 6 - A New Record and the 1st Woman in Space.- Part 4. Voskod Operations: Voskhod 1 - First Multi Crew Spaceflight. Voskhod 2 - First Space Walk.- Part 5. Legacy of Vostok: Spy Satellites. Life Sciences. Results and Findings.- Appendices.- Glossary.- Bibliography.- References.