On April 12, 1961, the unexplored realm of outer space was finally surmounted after nearly 30 years of work by the Soviet space exploration program. With Yuri Gagarin aboard the Vostok 3KA-3, more commonly called the Vostok 1, the USSR became the first nation to send a man into space as Gagarin orbited Earth for 108 minutes.
Born on March 9, 1934 in the village of Klushino, USSR, Gagarin grew up the son of Alexei Ivanovich Gagarin and Anna Timofeyevna Gagarina. He had a life-long interest in flight and attended several technical schools in order to earn his pilot wings and complete military training. Gagarin began his career working for the Soviet space program in 1960.
That year, Gagarin was one of 20 pilots selected for the Soviet space program to be trained for a potential launch into space. Through rigorous training and testing, the Klushino native earned the honor of manning the Vostok 1 into outer space. Beyond his training, Gagarin was also lucky that he was only 5’2” which was a benefit because of the small cockpit.
While everyone knows of Yuri Gagarin and his role as the first man in space, the man behind the scenes leading the space program was far less known. Often called the “Chief Designer,” Sergei Korolev was an aircraft designer turned aeronautics genius who was the key to developing Soviet space exploration.
He began his career in the space program by looking at the use of rockets for space exploration. From 1953 to 1957 he put intense effort into developing rockets for satellites in space and convincing the Soviet government that satellite technology was a worthwhile investment.
Finally, in 1957 the first satellite was launched into space. It was quickly followed by continued advancements in space exploration by the Soviets, culminating in the flight of the now famous Gagarin.
Following his renowned flight, Yuri became an instant world-wide celebrity, touring across Europe promoting the USSR’s space program. During these tours, his naturally jovial personality was revealed as his warmth touched the millions of people he came into contact with. This personality, a warmth very different from the sternness of the Lenin era, was particularly memorable to The New York Times writer Jamie Doran, who was born and raised in the Soviet Union.
He described Gagarin as a man “loved by one and all — including, eventually, even his greatest rivals.” And perhaps it is this effervescence that has allowed the Soviet astronaut to become such a hero in the science community.
His status has prompted various books, programs and articles to be written about his work, the latest by the media company The Attic Room. In collaboration with the International Space Station, The Attic Room created a 108-minute film, the same amount of time Gagarin orbited the Earth, that traces what Gagarin would have seen from the Vostok 1 as he made that first historic orbit.
Perhaps befitting of a man known for his space exploration, Gagarin died during a training flight with Vladimir Seryogin when his MiG-15UTI crashed near Kirzhach, USSR on March 27, 1968. While his memory lives on with a monument on Cosmonauts Alley in Russia, his legacy continues in the minds of millions who admired him as a great Russian hero.
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