Evening star., 1961-04-12

SPACE
Continued From First Page
sage called "the pre-arranged
area of the USSR."
The points OF departure and
landing we're not announced.
Soviet Wild With Joy
Praise was heaped on the
astronaut by Premier Khru-
shchev while Soviet publica-
tions and radio stations went
wild with joy. So did the man
in the street.
One announcer described
Maj. Gagarin as having "a
kind Russian face, eyes set we'll
apart, fine bushy brows, nigh
forehead" He is 81 and the
father of two daughters. His
name literally translates as
wild Duck"
According to the official ac-
count, Maj. Gagarin stepped
from the ship and to those
awaiting him announced:
please report to the Com
munis) party and government
and personally to Nikita Khru-
shchev that the landing was
normal. I feel well, have no
injuries or bruises"
And from Mr.. Khrushchev,
vacationing in the Black Sea
area, came a message: Il am
embracing you, hoping to meet
you soon."
Scientist Boasts
In Moscow scientist after SCI
enlist came on the television
screen in a shower of enthusi-
asm over the few details avail
able on how the feat was ac-
complished.
I'm this field" said Soviet
scientist Vladimir Dobronravov.
an expert on methods of con-
trolling such vehicles, "the So
Wet Unions lead over the
United States is immeasure-
able.
The satellite space ship
must be a guided vehicle which
at any time can be returned
to the earth at a command
from the earth"
Tonight, in a fever Of ex-
citement. Russians heard, for
the first time in history, the
sound of a human voice COM
ing from outer space. Moscow
radio broadcast what it called
a recording of a conversation
Maj. Gagarin had with the
earth control center while he
was in orbit. The atmoSpherics
were heavy but his words, in
a deep voice, were understand
able. These were the messages
reporting his flight progressing
normally.
News Is Dramatic
The news was announced un-
der dramatic circumstances.
A few minutes before 10 am.
the government radio stations
broadcast a blare of triumphant
music, then a few bars of the
Russian song, How Spacious
Is My Country" Then came
the announcement:
THE world space ship Vostok
(East) with a man on board
has been launched on April IL
in the Soviet Union on a round
the-world orbit"
This was while the ship, by
Soviet reckoning, still was UP.
There was a curious sequence
OF events leading up to the
announcement.
Rumors had been circulating
several days that the space coup
had been pulled off. Two days
ago Soviet TV technicians
moved into the telegraph office
with the evident purpose of
getting pictures of correspond
entS in action as they reported
such a story. There were vari-
Gus reports. none verifiable from
official sources, that the flight
had been made.
Then last night the Daily
Worker, London Communist
newspaper with apparently
sound connections in Moscow.
reported that the flight had
taken place last Friday. In
splash headlines. the Daily
Worker hearlded 1.-The first man
in space" saying he had COM
pleted three orbits before re-
turning to earth suffering from
"after-effects of the flight"
That led up to today.
Reported Still in Orbit
About $50 am. Western
correspondents were tipped off
to be listening to their radios
at 10 am. The announcement
came at 10 am, saying the
27-year-old astronaut still was
in orbit. At two intervals the
radio broadcast messages from
him. repeatedly from over
South America and Africa.
Then came a dramatic an
nouncement that the spaceship
had been called back to earth.
In a statement boasting that
the Soviet Union, "the land