Fifty years ago, the Vostok-1 spacecraft with Yury Gagarin onboard lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center. The 108-minute space flight changed the world... 12.04.2011, Sputnik International
Fifty years ago, the Vostok-1 spacecraft with Yury Gagarin onboard lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center. The 108-minute space flight changed the world forever, ushering in the space age. Yury Gagarin, a citizen of the Soviet Union, became the first space traveler in history.
Fifty years ago, the Vostok-1 spacecraft with Yury Gagarin onboard lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center. The 108-minute space flight changed the world forever, ushering in the space age. Yury Gagarin, a citizen of the Soviet Union, became the first space traveler in history.
Fifty years ago, the Vostok-1 spacecraft with Yury Gagarin onboard lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center. The 108-minute space flight changed the world forever, ushering in the space age. Yury Gagarin, a citizen of the Soviet Union, became the first space traveler in history.
Although the final decision as to who will be the first to fly to outer space was made at the last moment, no one doubted that Gagarin would be the one. Photo: Yury Gagarin and his back-up man, German Titov, heading for the Baikonur Space Center.
After Chief Designer Sergei Korolev wished him luck, Yury Gagarin took the elevator to the spacecraft perched on top of the 39-meter Vostok launch vehicle.
Rocket engines ignited at 9:07 a.m., and the 287-ton Vostok launch vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center. “Let’s go!” Gagarin shouted into the microphone at precisely the same moment. Several minutes later, people at the mission control center heard him say: “I can see Earth … It’s so beautiful!”
At 9:57 a.m., Gagarin radioed to mission control that he was flying over North America. That same moment, the Soviet news agency TASS issued a report about the first Soviet manned space mission.
Exactly 108 minutes after lift-off, Gagarin landed safely near the village of Smelovka in the Ternovsky District of the Saratov Region. Photo: The descent module of Yury Gagarin’s Vostok-1 spacecraft on the ground.
No slogan could convey the emotions of Soviet citizens. Photo: Students of the Lomonosov Moscow State University at a celebration rally in honor of Yury Gagarin’s space flight.
Valentina Gagarina, the wife of Yury Gagarin, the first man in space, waited for his return like no one else. Photo: Valentina Gagarina, center, congratulated by her friends.
Newsfeed
0
Access to the chat has been blocked for violating the rules .
You will be able to participate again through:∞.
If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the feedback form
The discussion is closed. You can participate in the discussion within 24 hours after the publication of the article.
