Evening star., 1961-04-15


Soviet Union. He smiled more
broadly than usual and said
Space pilots are being trained
and there are quite enough tc
carry out serious flights ir
outer space"
More Space Flights Due
He said the Soviet Unior
plans many more space flights
to conquer outer space.
In an obvious reference tc
American attempts at manned
space flights. the young ma.
jor said:
I'VE always welcome scien-
tific achievements in other
countries.
I'VE welcome coSmonauts oi
other countries: We want tt
cooperate with them"
/ While Maj. Gagarin was
speaking white-capped wait
ress brought him a steamine
glass of tea. AS soon as he
sat down he began to sip at it
His dark blond hair was
touSled. Every now and again
he tugged nervously at his left
ear. When pausing to allow his
words to be translated into
English, he bit his lower lip
Had No Nervousness
Mai. Gagarin said he was
not at all nervous before the
flight, and was not at all de-
presSed-aS some had predicted
during the booster stage.
He said that although in
his training he had had some
experience of weightlessnesS,
nevertheless, it was a new
sensation.
Il soon adjusted myself to
it, however, and was able to
continue my work. I give it
as my personal opinion that
weightleSsness does not ad-
verSely affect mans ability to
work or his physiological con-
dition."
Describing what he saw from
his space capsule, Maj. Gaga-
rim said:
THE sky looked quite black,
the stars are brighter and the
earth had beautiful halo"
He said visibility was excel
lent at heights ranging be-
tween ITS and 300 kilometers.
Il had a view of the suns
rays passing through the
earth'S atmosphere" he con-
tinued. Close to the earth.
the color was a light orange" "
Emergence Abrupt
Maj. Gagarin said that
emergence from the earth's
shadow is very abrupt.
6e was asked whether he
made his observation of the
earth through a portfolio or
by television and he replied:
Il saw the earth through the
portfolio Of the ship"
He was asked whether the
space ship which took him
around the earth would make
the flight to the moon and he
answered,
This space ship was not in
tended for a flight to the moon.
Special space ships being
created for that purpose"
He was asker whether those
who met him when he re-
turned to earth were already
at the landing site or if they
arrived later. He said that the
two were almost simulta-
neous.
Asked whether he got any
special pay for the flight, he
replied simply that he was paid
enough in regular salary to
take care of all his needs and
that he had been named a
hero of the Soviet Union for
his flight and this is the
greatest reward that could be
given"
Throughout his prepared
statement he kept insisting
space flight had no adverse
effects on me-"
Thanks CO-wOrkers
He also repeatedly thanked
the scientists, engineers and
workers who made his flight
possible as well as the Com
munist Party and the Soviet
government. He also praised
Premier Khrushchev for his
Solicitude about the flight.
Maj. Gagarin went to con-
siderable pains to make sure
nobody got the idea that he
came from a noble family.
Smiling, he said: IT have read
in some newspapers that some
frivolous people in the United
States claimed that am their
relative and that 1 am a de-
scendant Of a princely family.
Il am sorry to disappoint
them.
i am an ordinary Soviet
man, born on a collective
farm. There are no princes of
any kind in my background"
The House of Scientists in
which the conference was given
was once the Moscow residence
of Prince Gagarin of Czarist
days. 1t still bears the family's
lion head arms symbol.
1t was appropriated by the
state when the Communists
came to power.