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Vostok 1 spacecraft after landing, 1961
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Vostok 1 spacecraft after landing, 1961
Vostok 1 descent module after landing in the Saratov region of Russia, in the USSR, on 12 April 1961. Vostok 1 was the first spacecraft to take a human into space. Its spherical descent module, which measured 2.3 metres across and housed Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin during the spaceflight. The spacecraft launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, and took 1 hour and 48 minutes to circle the Earth. After re-entry the descent module separated from the rest of the spacecraft. Gagarin ejected 7 kilometres up, parachuting safely to the ground. The descent module also deployed a parachute, but impacted the ground hard enough to create an impact crater, bouncing several times before coming to rest covered in soil
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Media ID 6458081
© RIA NOVOSTI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
12 04 1961 12 April 1961 1900s 1960s 1961 Descent Module Engineering Field First Man In Space Gagarin Impact Landing Return Russia Russian Soviet Soviet Union Space Craft Space Flight Space Race Uss R Vostok 1 Yuri Gagarin Saratov
EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures the Vostok 1 spacecraft after its historic landing in the Saratov region of Russia on April 12,1961. As the first spacecraft to carry a human into space, Vostok 1 holds immense significance in both technological and historical contexts. The spherical descent module, measuring an impressive 2.3 meters across, served as the home for Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin during his groundbreaking spaceflight. Launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, Vostok 1 completed a full orbit around Earth in just one hour and forty-eight minutes before beginning its descent. Upon re-entry into the atmosphere, the descent module separated from the rest of the spacecraft. Gagarin safely ejected at an altitude of approximately seven kilometers and descended using a parachute. However, upon impact with the ground, it became evident that this momentous journey had not come without challenges. The descent module created an impact crater as it bounced several times before finally coming to rest covered in soil—a testament to both the force experienced during landing and Gagarin's safe return. This photograph serves as a poignant reminder of humanity's relentless pursuit of exploration and discovery during one of history's most iconic moments—the dawn of manned space travel. It showcases not only remarkable engineering achievements but also symbolizes an era defined by fierce competition between superpowers—the United States and Soviet Union—known as the Space Race.
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