Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🚀 The Space Age began on April 12, 1961. Sixty-two years ago, mankind managed to overcome terrestrial gravitation and orbited the planet. We are particularly proud to recall that Soviet citizen and the first Soviet pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin accomplished this great breakthrough.
🧑🚀 Although Gagarin was only 27 on the eve of his space mission, he had come a long way from flying with the Saratov air club to joining the first Soviet cosmonaut squad. On that memorable morning in April 1961, he blasted off into the great unknown. A photographer snapped an image of Gagarin shortly before liftoff; the cosmonaut’s face had no sign of fear and showed the famous smile of Gagarin.
Yuri Gagarin spent 108 minutes in outer space and completed a full orbit around the Earth. Almost no one knew that history was being made on that morning. TASS news agency did not break the news until 10:13 am.
On April 14, Gagarin was riding in a convertible through the streets of the Soviet Union. Jubilant crowds cheerfully greeted him and showered his limousine with flowers. Every Soviet citizen felt that he or she was somehow a part of this historical event.
Gagarin was a representative of a county that had risen from the ashes of World War II not long before, and that had already plunged into a tense Space Race rivalry with the United States. Nevertheless, his feat belonged to all of mankind, not just the Soviet people. It served as a prologue to the glorious era of international cooperation in exploring outer space.
🌏 In the next two years, Gagarin visited more than 30 countries where he was given a hero’s welcome. The Soviet cosmonaut’s foreign tour was unofficially called a peace mission – people everywhere sincerely greeted the first man in space, regardless of their political views.
👉 Every year, on #CosmonauticsDay, a countdown begins at 9.07 am Moscow Time until Yuri Gagarin’s safe return home.
#Gagarin #Gagarin1961 #FirstInSpace
🧑🚀 Although Gagarin was only 27 on the eve of his space mission, he had come a long way from flying with the Saratov air club to joining the first Soviet cosmonaut squad. On that memorable morning in April 1961, he blasted off into the great unknown. A photographer snapped an image of Gagarin shortly before liftoff; the cosmonaut’s face had no sign of fear and showed the famous smile of Gagarin.
Yuri Gagarin spent 108 minutes in outer space and completed a full orbit around the Earth. Almost no one knew that history was being made on that morning. TASS news agency did not break the news until 10:13 am.
On April 14, Gagarin was riding in a convertible through the streets of the Soviet Union. Jubilant crowds cheerfully greeted him and showered his limousine with flowers. Every Soviet citizen felt that he or she was somehow a part of this historical event.
Gagarin was a representative of a county that had risen from the ashes of World War II not long before, and that had already plunged into a tense Space Race rivalry with the United States. Nevertheless, his feat belonged to all of mankind, not just the Soviet people. It served as a prologue to the glorious era of international cooperation in exploring outer space.
🌏 In the next two years, Gagarin visited more than 30 countries where he was given a hero’s welcome. The Soviet cosmonaut’s foreign tour was unofficially called a peace mission – people everywhere sincerely greeted the first man in space, regardless of their political views.
👉 Every year, on #CosmonauticsDay, a countdown begins at 9.07 am Moscow Time until Yuri Gagarin’s safe return home.
#Gagarin #Gagarin1961 #FirstInSpace
#FirstInSpace
👨🚀 On April 12, 1961 — 6️⃣4️⃣ years ago — Soviet cosmonaut Yuri #Gagarin became the First man in space!
🚀 #Vostok1 spacecraft launched from Baikonur at 9:07 a.m. MSK, made one full orbit & landed at 10:55 — the most important 108 mins in history!
#Gagarin1961
👨🚀 On April 12, 1961 — 6️⃣4️⃣ years ago — Soviet cosmonaut Yuri #Gagarin became the First man in space!
🚀 #Vostok1 spacecraft launched from Baikonur at 9:07 a.m. MSK, made one full orbit & landed at 10:55 — the most important 108 mins in history!
#Gagarin1961