Soviet astronaut Gagarin's first space trip was full of thrills

Source: Global Times

On April 12, 60 years ago, Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin took the "Vostok" carrier rocket, ushering in a new era of human spaceflight. When manned spaceflight is becoming more common today, many people may not be able to imagine what kind of risks Gagarin experienced in those days.

Gagarin, who flew into space, was described as more like a passenger in the Vostok 1 spacecraft than an astronaut operating the spacecraft, because Korolev, the chief designer of the Soviet Union's manned space program, did not want astronauts to use their hands and feet on the spacecraft during the first spaceflight. His caution was well-founded, and no one knew how people would react in weightlessness. There are concerns that when astronauts quickly transition from being overweight during launch to floating weightlessness in space, this drastic change in perception could cause astronauts to go crazy. Therefore, Soviet spacecraft designers tended to let the spacecraft be controlled by autopilot.

However, the console of the Vostok 1 spacecraft is equipped with manual control devices and automatic/manual toggle switches so that in case of emergency, astronauts can take over control of the spacecraft. However, this manual control function is locked, and the astronaut can only control the spacecraft by opening a sealed envelope, finding out and entering the password. While it only takes a simple arithmetic problem to get the code, it's conceivable that it's hard enough for someone in a state of panic.

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union put the world's first artificial satellite into orbit. Gagarin, who was still an ordinary cadet at the military academy at this time, could not have imagined that he would also be written into the history of spaceflight as the creation of "the first time for mankind". Later, after a rigorous selection, Gagarin became one of the first 11 astronauts in the Soviet Union. He was already the father of two girls at the time, and it was suggested that the first space flight was too risky and that childless astronauts should be given priority. But Korolev insisted on letting Gagarin go on and personally tested him before the flight. Gagarin's outstanding performance proved korolev's choice correct.

At 9:07 Moscow time on April 12, 1961, Gagarin's Vostok 1 spacecraft took off from the Baikonur launch site. According to a transcript communicating with the ground control center, Gagarin was stunned by the scenery outside the ship's window and described in detail the image of clouds projected on the Earth's surface. He spent a total of 108 minutes in space. It is said that the flight of Vostok 1 made human-made shooting weapons appear for the first time in space. It turned out that the Soviet space department had brought Gagarin a pistol. At the time, it was speculated that astronauts might land in remote areas and need weapons to deal with wild animals. This is not unfounded. In 1965, the astronauts of the Sunrise 2 spacecraft landed in the primeval forest of the South Ural region and had to shoot away wolves and bears.

For Gagarin, the real test comes from the return phase. The return capsule rolls in free fall as it re-enters the atmosphere, and Gagarin is thrown against the bulkhead under the action of centrifugal force. He later recalled: "I was like a ballet — head, then feet spinning fast. Everything is spinning. ”

And that's not all. Under the technical conditions at that time, it was impossible for astronauts to land together in the return capsule, so Gagarin was catapulted into the air during the landing process and then landed with a parachute. Because the air supply valve of the spacesuit on his body did not open in time, he was almost choked to death. The International Aeronautical Federation had too harsh requirements for space flight at the time: astronauts must land with the return capsule or they would not be recognized. To this end, the Soviet authorities concealed Gagarin's landing method, claiming that he landed in a return capsule. Of course, the International Aeronautical Federation recognized Gagarin's status as the "first man in space" and later revised the definition of spaceflight.

Gagarin's test is not over. Due to the failure of the braking system of the return capsule, Gagarin did not appear in the predetermined position, but landed in the field of Saratov Oblast, 100 km away from the designated area. After landing on the ground, Gagarin could not believe that he had returned to Earth safely: "The plough is very loose, very soft, and even dry. I didn't even feel the ground. I couldn't believe I was already standing. Fortunately, he contacted the command and control center in time with the communication equipment to report his location. Search and rescue agents found him an hour later.

Upon his return to Earth, Gagarin quickly became a world-renowned human hero. To ensure his health and safety, the Soviets initially decided not to let him return to space. But in April 1967, the Soviet Union's Soyuz 1 spacecraft crashed on landing, and Gagarin's comrade-in-arms Komarov became the first astronaut to die in a space flight. In order to boost people's confidence in Soviet spaceflight, Gagarin put on his battle robes and was selected as an astronaut for the next space flight. To this end, he began to resume flying training. However, on March 27, 1968, Gagarin was killed in a plane crash during a routine training flight.