Known as the ‘Columbus of the Cosmos’, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin entered the history books on the 12th of April 1961 when he became the first person in the space. Yuri Alekseyevich was born in 1934 and raised on a collected farm, they returned but was later renamed in his owner.
Displaying an early interest in aviation, he joined the Soviet air force at 21 and gained his pilot wings in the MiG-15. Less than four years later, he reached the rank of Senior Lieutenant and was of the 20 pilots selected to train the Soviet’s space program.
The Russians and Americans were vying for supremacy in space and the Russians had the edge and three years earlier they launched the first satellite into orbit. His brothers the first living creature and the first creatures to successfully returned. The Soviet successes had intensified the superpower rivalry and the race was on to launch the first man into space. The cosmonauts were trained in a secret for two years subjected to vigorous physical and psychological testing while Gagarin eased the test. When it came to final selection the short height of five foot two clinched the deal because the Vostok rocket cockpits were of small size.
His instructors described him as always short of his resources, very difficult if not impossible to upset. He stands out amongst his colleagues, thanks to his great scope of active attention, bright mind and quick reaction. Although canine cosmonauts Belka and Strelka had safely returned from the orbit in 1960 suffering no ill effect from the space journey there was still many unknowns about sending a man to space.
Concerns included the effect of invisible cosmic rays on the human body, the possibility of colliding with the meteor and the chance that the cosmonaut might suffer hallucinations but throughout the flight preparations, Gagarin’s came to school. Soviet’s space chief Sergey Korolyov said that “While a lot of people working on the mission displayed apprehension and anxiety, Gagarin alone remained calm. More than that, he was full of good spirits and being like the sun barrel of set.”
When 27-year-old Gagarin blasted off from the launched pad in Kazakhstan the fears proved baseless. He had no trouble carrying out the allocated scientific experiments and founded simple to communicate with mission control. It didn’t take him long to adjust to zero gravity and he felt no mental or physical impairment.
Gagarin made a single orbit of the earth at the speed of 27,400 kilometers an hour. It took him 108 minutes and during the flight he was promoted to the rank of Major. Gagarin returned to earth a hero of the Soviet Union and an international celebrity. The Americans intensified their effort to match the Soviet successes and in less than a month later American Alan Shepard became the second man in the space and within the decade the Americans reached the moon.
“I believed that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”
Gagarin himself hoped to be selected to train for a mission to the moon but his propaganda values stood there was banned from space flights instead he traveled the world of Soviet achievement and later worked on designs for a reusable rock just seven years later he was killed in flying accident.
Gagarin historic flight took place at the height of the Cold War but his achievement transcended politics. “Circling the earth in my orbital spaceship, I marveled that the beauty of our planet.” he later said. “People of the world, let us save God and enhance this beauty not destroy it.”
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