April 12, 2011
Yuri’s Day
Gagarin in the cockpit of a Vickers Viscount during a July 1961 trip to England. (RIA Novosti/Science Photo Library)
What is it about April 12 that makes momentous things happen?
Today is the 150th anniversary of the start of the U.S. Civil War, the 30th anniversary of the first space shuttle launch, and the 50th anniversary of the first human spaceflight.
Centuries from now, the last of these may be considered the most important.
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin’s single orbit around Earth proved—though most test pilots had never doubted it—that human beings could survive in space. From then on, the 27-year-old military pilot was a cultural icon, a fate he probably never envisioned and didn’t always enjoy. Yet, on the eve of his launch, he was aware that “all I have done and lived for has been done and lived for for this moment.”
Here’s some essential reading and a few assorted links for the anniversary of Gagarin’s flight:
- Space historian Anatoly Zak’s Vostok 1 page, complete with an interactive map of the flight.
- Read Chapter 3 of Soviet space pioneer Boris Chertok’s memoir for a behind-the-scenes perspective on the world’s first spaceflight:
“I must confess that after seeing these potential cosmonauts for the first time, I was disappointed. I remember them as lieutenants who, because of their youth, looked alike and did not appear very serious. Since the war years, I’d had a completely different mental image of the concept of “fighter pilot.” If someone had told us that several years later, one after the other, these boys would become Heroes of the Soviet Union, and some even generals, I would have answered that that would only be possible during wartime.”
- Gagarin’s eloquent recorded message before his flight.
- An article about “The Family He Left Behind,” from our current issue.
- Blog postings by historian Andrew Jenks, who’s writing a book about Gagarin.
- Gagarin’s flight has inspired many artists and musicians over the years, from Pablo Picasso to guitarist Brian May of Queen. My current favorite nod to Yuri is “Gagarin, (I Loved You)” by the Russian group Underwud.
- Finally, if you do only one thing to mark the Gagarin anniversary, watch “First Orbit,” below, which was just released today. Documentary filmmaker Christopher Riley came up with a simple, brilliant conception: He asked European astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who’s currently living on the International Space Station, to film a full orbit roughly matching the orbit that Gagarin followed on April 12, 1961. Add the rarely-heard radio conversations between Gagarin and ground controllers, an appropriately ethereal soundtrack, and you’re transported to that moment 50 years ago, when the age of human spaceflight began.
Thanks for the interesting article.
The picture shows Gagarin travelling from London to Manchester on the morning of Wednesday 12th July 1961. This is an in-flight picture, the BEA Viscount 800 was being flown by captain Stanley Key at the time and Gagarin is sitting in co-pilot, Brian Long’s seat.
Of the five days in England, this was the only day he spent outside London. Infact, he came to England because he had been invited by the Manchester based Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers (AUFW) because Gagarin, prior to joining the Soviet air force had trained and worked as a foundryman.
During his stay in Manchester, he visited the AUFW HQ, a Foundry in Trafford Park industrial estate and had a civic reception in the town hall. He had arrived at Manchester airport at 10:00 and was back there by 16:30 for his return flight to London.
Some rare video of Gagarin’s (some sections with audio) visit to Manchester here http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/04/12/episode-42-april-12th-2011-rare-video-of-yuri-gagarin-in-manchester/
Comment by Gurbir Singh — April 14, 2011 @ 6:29 am