An event of great historical significance occurred 60 years ago. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. This triumphant flight is still considered an incredible breakthrough and an extraordinary achievement for all mankind. This incident caused a huge public reaction! Gagarin became a hero of the Soviet Union, a darling of all Soviet women at once, or, as it is now said, a real "star".
This short orbital voyage had great significance for world science, but it almost ended in a shocking fiasco...
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="4" is > a perfect flight? </h1>
All the Soviet media said in the same tone, "Everything was perfect." One of Yuri Gagarin's routine flights went as planned, landing at designated locations 108 minutes after takeoff. However, there was no explanation as to why, after landing, the Vostok spacecraft encountered not a search team, but soldiers from local residents and nearby troops.
The Vostok spacecraft
All documents relating to the flight are kept strictly confidential. These archives did not begin to be collated until 1991. Researchers have been collating documents for 20 years, and only recently have they begun publishing detailed compilations that accurately describe all the real details of the event. In fact, the first spaceflight was not perfect at all, and it almost ended in a terrible catastrophe, or even the death of the pilot.
Yuri Gagarin The first man in space
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="9" > less successful projects</h1>
So far, it has been known that seven similar spacecraft were launched into space before Yuri Gagarin's spacecraft was launched. The soviet union's first unmanned satellite ship was launched in May 1960. Just four days later, after issuing braking and descending commands, the directional system failed and the satellite began to accelerate, getting higher and higher. There was a spaceship launch with experimental dogs named Foxes and Seagulls on board, which unfortunately exploded almost immediately after the rocket was launched.
Launch of vostok
On August 19, a second spacecraft carrying a test dog named "Squirrel" and "Shooter" was launched. This flight has caught everyone's attention. The next day, the spacecraft landed in the expected area, and the two dogs were safe and sound. A third spacecraft was then sent into space with dogs named "Bees" and "Flies". After a day in orbit, the spacecraft deviated from its stated orbit upon its return to Earth. As a result, the ship's emergency blasting system destroyed it. This information is not made public. The matter was completely covered up. In December of the same year, another spacecraft was launched with a dog named "Alpha" and "Pearl". When returning for unknown reasons, the third stage of the rocket failed and the emergency rescue system was activated. The spacecraft made an emergency landing near the village of Tours near the Lower Tunguska River. The spaceship was found, and so was the dog. Everything was packed up and shipped away. The launch was unsuccessful and was concealed.
That is to say, in the early 1961, of the five space flights, only one safe return. This is an unacceptable result. This project needs to be completely revised and improved. But there is no time, and the United States is planning to launch manned spacecraft every day. The Soviet Union did not allow it to be surpassed and decided to continue the experiment.
In early March, the Vostok spacecraft was launched. It's just that there are no astronauts on the spacecraft, but a humanoid model, and a black dog. This time, the launch and flight of the spacecraft went smoothly, but the landing was still not in the planned area. In late March, another spacecraft was launched. There is a dog on board named Star. Everything went smoothly, but the landing wasn't where it was planned. Scientists cannot determine the exact reason for the distance the spacecraft flew. This is considered a minor error. Most importantly, the survival of astronauts. Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, chief designer of rocket and space technology, decided to take a risk and prepare to launch a spacecraft carrying astronauts.
The launch of the Vostok spacecraft carrying Gagarin was an adventure
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="18" > take off! </h1>
The Vostok manned spacecraft was launched on April 12, 1961 at 9:07 Moscow time. It took off from the Tours Launch Site, which was later renamed Baikonur Launch Site. On takeoff, Gagarin said something historic: "Take off!" ”。 Korolev shouted, "We wish you a pleasant flight!" ”。
The interior of the Vostok spacecraft
At nine o'clock in the morning, the spacecraft carried the world's first astronaut into orbit. The perigee is 181 km and the distance from the apogee is 92 km more than expected! This led to a serious failure of the radio control system. The third-order rocket fell off half a second later than expected. The speed of the ship has exceeded the speed needed. This is very dangerous. Because the planned altitude is calculated, if the engine suddenly fails, the spacecraft will naturally slow down and derail itself. The flight time was expected to take about five to seven days, so the supplies needed for the astronauts were prepared at this time. If the spacecraft is out of actual orbit, it means that the time is more than three times longer. By then, the pilot would surely be dead.
During the flight, the astronauts have been trying to keep in touch with Earth. The signal wasn't always stable, and Gagarin wasn't entirely sure if he could hear his call. Soon after, the Vostok spacecraft flew over the Hawaiian Islands, across the Pacific Ocean, around cape Horn and close to Africa. Gagarin ate a "cosmic meal" and drank canned water. Later, Gagarin said everything was fine.
Moscow's Red Square greets the return of the first man in the universe
Gagarin observes the Earth, the stars that orbit the Earth, the boundless space of the universe. He constantly records readings from all instruments. Gagarin recorded the information on the car tape recorder and repeated it in the ship's magazine. He had some minor troubles, and in his weightless state, Gagarin's pencil "disengaged." There is no way to record it. The tape recorder ran out of film, and the astronaut turned it to the middle by hand. Gagarin continued to record, but some valuable flight information was lost forever.
Immediately after the spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle, the temporary equipment program was started, and then this device started the orientation system, which guided the spacecraft in the necessary direction, and then the brake engine was activated. According to the calculated data, the brakes need to be braked for 41 seconds. But a small fault was found in the valve, and the engine stalled early. This led to the opening of the booster system. Under enormous pressure, nitrogen began to enter the ship, with the result that the ship spun at a speed of 30 revolutions per second. In one report, the pilot wrote: "It's a ballet show: head-toe, head-toe ... It's all going on at high speed. It's all spinning. Africa, the sky, the horizon kept flashing before me. I could only close my eyes toward the sun. I put my foot on the porthole and the curtains weren't pulled up, and I wondered what was going on. I've been waiting for the moment of separation to come, but it hasn't come...
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="27" > emergency landing</h1>
Due to all the glitches and inconsistencies, the combination forms a unique situation. Astronauts cannot assess the level of danger in the situation. We should pay tribute to Gagarin – he did not panic. Gagarin did his best to ensure that the flight went as planned. The astronauts looked at the meter and continued to observe what was happening. When the spacecraft separated from the rocket, it flew just over the Mediterranean Sea at an altitude of no more than 120 kilometers.
The spacecraft continued to move forward, its rotation gradually slowing down. The load is getting bigger and bigger. The rocket chamber shone with a bright red glow. The astronauts heard a strange crackling sound, but out of nowhere. Gagarin decided that the sound was the effect of thermal expansion from the spacecraft's hull. Gagarinch smelled burning. His eyes were blackened by a noticeable overload. It all went on for a few seconds, and Gagarin was ready to say goodbye to life. Suddenly, everything was normal. Gagarin breathed a sigh of relief.
The experienced astronaut did not lose control in an emergency, but gloriously survived
The moment the spacecraft entered the dense atmosphere was observed by the Observation Center in the Simferopol region. After entering the atmosphere, the spacecraft was flying at an altitude of 7 kilometers, at a speed of more than 200 meters per second, the system opened the hatch and the pilot was catapulted out. The main parachute opened, and Gagarin fell off his chair, along with the container in emergency reserves. For reasons he did not understand, he did not hang on the sling, but fell down. As a result, the pilots were deprived of all necessary medicines, food, radios and trackers. When Yuri Alexievich was at an altitude of 3 kilometers above the ground, a spare parachute opened. Gagarin couldn't control them, so he flew forward with his back. Only when he found himself at an altitude of thirty meters did he turn his face. That way he can land well without getting hurt.
In general, a pilot's landing may be considered successful. The landing site is near the village of Semenlovka in the Engels district of the Saratov region, in the newly cultivated fields of the collective farm "Lenin Road". If you look at the flight time recorded on the profile, you'll see that it was 106 minutes, not 108 minutes, and people believed it for almost 50 years.
Flight time is 106 minutes
According to calculations, the planned landing site is north of the village of Yamaza in the Havareski district of the Saratov region. It is calculated that the spacecraft may fly by, but the spacecraft has flown more than 200 kilometers less. The astronaut didn't wait at the landing site, he put away his parachute, got rid of all restraints, and walked to look for people.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="36" > this flight, then and now, is invaluable to science</h1>
This is entirely a political decision. At all costs, the Soviet Union could not let the United States become the first. For the sake of the status of an advanced space country, no matter how much risk is taken. The cost of error can be enormous. The work of all engineers, rocket testers, and designers can be called a feat.
On April 14, 1961, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Yuri Alexievich Gagarin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union
For the scientific world, humanity's entry into orbit is the beginning of a new era for humanity. This helps solve all the problems that scientists have been arguing about for decades. Before humans went into space, no one really understood space beyond Earth. Of course, science knows that interstellar space is empty. For example, comets and meteoroids are thought to be much larger. It is these celestial bodies that are considered the main obstacle to space travel. Scientists are also unaware of the effects of overload or of the dangers of radiation. Today, this is the main problem.