Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space | The Greatest Moments in Flight By Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com Contributor | July 24, 2012 02:00pm ET MORE On 12 April 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space when he launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1). Credit: ESA This is part of a SPACE.com series of articles on the Greatest Moments in Flight, the breakthrough events that paved the way for human spaceflight and its next steps: asteroid mining and bases on the moon and Mars. The United States and the Soviet Union vigorously competed to push the boundaries of mankind's exploration of space. The Russians scored a victory when they launched a small craft carrying cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin to new heights. His 108-minute flight gave him a permanent place in the history books as the first man in space. The race to the stars With the 1957 launch of Sputnik 1, the world's first manmade satellite, the Russians took an early lead in the space race.

The next step was to send a human off the planet. The American plan to send a man into space by 1961 created a deadline that the Russian team worked hard to beat. The development of the Vostok spacecraft became paramount. Prior to Gagarin’s historic flight, the Soviets sent a prototype of his spaceship, along with a life-size dummy called Ivan Ivanovich and a dog called Zvezdochka. With these successes, the vessel was considered ready to take a living, breathing human into space. [ INFOGRAPHIC: How the First Human Spaceflight Worked ] The right stuff More than 200 Russian Air Force fighter pilots were selected as cosmonaut candidates. Such pilots were considered optimum because they had exposure to the forces of acceleration and the ejection process, as well as experience with high-stress situations. Among the pilots was 27-year-old Senior Lieutenant Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin. The third of four children, Gagarin was born on March 9, 1934, in a small village a hundred miles from Moscow. As a teenager, Gagarin witnessed a Russian Yak fighter plane make an emergency landing near his home.

When offered a chance years later to join a flying club, he eagerly accepted, making his first solo flight in 1955. Only a few years later, he submitted his request to be considered as a cosmonaut. [ PHOTOS: Yuri Gagarin & 50 Years of Human Spaceflight ] First in (space) flight On April 12, 1961, at 9:07 a.m. Moscow time, the Vostok 1 spacecraft blasted off from the Soviets' launch site. Because no one was certain how weightlessness would affect a pilot, the spherical capsule had little in the way of onboard controls; the work was done either automatically or from the ground. If an emergency arose, Gagarin was supposed to receive an override code that would allow him to take manual control, but Sergei Korolov, chief designer of the Soviet space program, disregarded protocol and gave it to the pilot prior to the flight. Over the course of 108 minutes, Vostok 1 traveled around the Earth once, reaching a maximum height of 203 miles (327 kilometers). Over Africa, the engines fired to bring Gagarin back to Earth.

The craft carried ten days worth of provisions in case the engines failed and Gagarin was required to wait for the orbit to naturally decay, but they were unnecessary. Gagarin re-entered Earth's atmosphere, experiencing forces up to eight times the pull of gravity, but remained consciousness. Vostok 1 had no engines to slow its re-entry or a way to land safely. About four miles up (seven kilometers), Gagarin ejected and parachuted to Earth. In order for the mission to be counted as an official spaceflight, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the governing body for aerospace records, had determined that the pilot must land with the spacecraft. Soviet leaders indicated that Gagarin had touched down with the Vostok 1, and did not reveal that he had ejected until 1971. Regardless, Gagarin still set the record as the first man to leave Earth's orbit and travel into space. [ Milestones in Human Spaceflight: Pictures ] After the mission Upon his return to Earth, Gagarin was an international hero. He was cheered in Red Square by a crowd of hundreds of thousands.

A national treasure, he traveled around the world to celebrate the historical Soviet achievement. On returning home, he became a deputy of the Supreme Soviet and was appointed Commander of the Cosmonauts' Detachment. Because Russia did not want to risk such a public figure, they were hesitant to allow him back into space. He continued to make test flights for the Air Force, however. On March 27, 1968, Gagarin was killed in while test-piloting a MiG-15. He was survived by his wife, Valentina Ivanovna Goryacheva, and two daughters. When Apollo 11 touched down on the moon in July 1969, the crew left behind a commemorative medallion bearing Gagarin’s name, as well as medallions for another cosmonaut and three Apollo astronauts who lost their lives in accidents. First Americans in space Alan Shepard flew in space on May 5, 1961, the first American to do so. He launched aboard a Mercury-Redstone 3 rocket named Freedom 7. The suborbital flight lasted 15 minutes.

Credit: NASA Alan Shepard was the first American in space and the second person in space, launching on a suborbital flight in a Mercury capsule called Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961 — just three weeks after Gagarin's flight. [ Pictures of the First American in Space ] Shepard is said to have been frustrated that the United States did not win the race. The Soviet victory could have been prevented , Shepard reportedly felt, had NASA not delayed his mission multiple times for tests. "I think he was a little bit frustrated with NASA for, in his mind, being a little bit overly cautious," according to Neal Thompson, author of "Light This Candle: The Life and Times of Alan Shepard" (Three Rivers Press, 2005). "He was a little bit pissed off that they delayed it so much that the Russians were able to get up there first." John Glenn was the first American in orbit , launching in the Friendship 7 Mercury capsule on Feb. 20, 1962. Glenn orbited Earth three times during the flight, which took place 10 months after Gagarin’s mission.

[ Pictures of the First American in Orbit ] The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut who flew the Vostok 6 mission on June 16, 1963. The first American woman in space was Sally Ride , who was a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on flight STS-7 on June 18, 1983. —Nola Taylor Redd & Robert Roy Britt Related: First man in space - Apr 12, 1961 - HISTORY.com First man in space Publisher A+E Networks On April 12, 1961, aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin becomes the first human being to travel into space. During the flight, the 27-year-old test pilot and industrial technician also became the first man to orbit the planet, a feat accomplished by his space capsule in 89 minutes. Vostok 1 orbited Earth at a maximum altitude of 187 miles and was guided entirely by an automatic control system.

The only statement attributed to Gagarin during his one hour and 48 minutes in space was, “Flight is proceeding normally; I am well.” After his historic feat was announced, the attractive and unassuming Gagarin became an instant worldwide celebrity. He was awarded the Order of Lenin and given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Monuments were raised to him across the Soviet Union and streets renamed in his honor. The triumph of the Soviet space program in putting the first man into space was a great blow to the United States, which had scheduled its first space flight for May 1961. Moreover, Gagarin had orbited Earth, a feat that eluded the U.S. space program until February 1962, when astronaut John Glenn made three orbits in Friendship 7. By that time, the Soviet Union had already made another leap ahead in the “space race” with the August 1961 flight of cosmonaut Gherman Titov in Vostok 2. Titov made 17 orbits and spent more than 25 hours in space. To Soviet propagandists, the Soviet conquest of space was evidence of the supremacy of communism over capitalism.

However, to those who worked on the Vostok program and earlier on Sputnik (which launched the first satellite into space in 1957), the successes were attributable chiefly to the brilliance of one man: Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. Because of his controversial past, Chief Designer Korolev was unknown in the West and to all but insiders in the USSR until his death in 1966. Born in the Ukraine in 1906, Korolev was part of a scientific team that launched the first Soviet liquid-fueled rocket in 1933. In 1938, his military sponsor fell prey to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s purges, and Korolev and his colleagues were also put on trial. Convicted of treason and sabotage, Korolev was sentenced to 10 years in a labor camp. The Soviet authorities came to fear German rocket advances, however, and after only a year Korolev was put in charge of a prison design bureau and ordered to continue his rocketry work. In 1945, Korolev was sent to Germany to learn about the V-2 rocket, which had been used to devastating effect by the Nazis against the British.

The Americans had captured the rocket’s designer, Wernher von Braun, who later became head of the U.S. space program, but the Soviets acquired a fair amount of V-2 resources, including rockets, launch facilities, blueprints, and a few German V-2 technicians. By employing this technology and his own considerable engineering talents, by 1954 Korolev had built a rocket that could carry a five-ton nuclear warhead and in 1957 launched the first intercontinental ballistic missile. That year, Korolev’s plan to launch a satellite into space was approved, and on October 4, 1957, Sputnik 1 was fired into Earth’s orbit. It was the first Soviet victory of the space race, and Korolev, still technically a prisoner, was officially rehabilitated.

The Soviet space program under Korolev would go on to numerous space firsts in the late 1950s and early ’60s: first animal in orbit, first large scientific satellite, first man, first woman, first three men, first space walk, first spacecraft to impact the moon, first to orbit the moon, first to impact Venus, and first craft to soft-land on the moon. Throughout this time, Korolev remained anonymous, known only as the “Chief Designer.” His dream of sending cosmonauts to the moon eventually ended in failure, primarily because the Soviet lunar program received just one-tenth the funding allocated to America’s successful Apollo lunar landing program. Korolev died in 1966. Upon his death, his identity was finally revealed to the world, and he was awarded a burial in the Kremlin wall as a hero of the Soviet Union. Yuri Gagarin was killed in a routine jet-aircraft test flight in 1968. His ashes were also placed in the Kremlin wall.

Related Videos NASA - Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space April 12 was already a huge day in space history twenty years before the launch of the first shuttle mission. On that day in 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (left, on the way to the launch pad) became the first human in space, making a 108-minute orbital flight in his Vostok 1 spacecraft. Newspapers like The Huntsville Times (right) trumpeted Gagarin's accomplishment. Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space less than a month later. The first cooperative human space flight project between the United States and the Soviet Union took place in 1975. The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was designed to test the compatibility of rendezvous and docking systems for American and Soviet spacecraft and to open the way for future joint manned flights. Since 1993, the U.S. and Russia have worked together on a number of other space flight projects. The Space Shuttle began visiting the Russian Mir space station in 1994, and in 1995 Norm Thagard became the first U.S.

astronaut to take up residency on Mir. Seven U.S. astronauts served with their Russian counterparts aboard the orbiting Mir laboratory from 1995 to 1998. The experience gained from the Mir cooperative effort, as well as lessons learned, paved the way for the International Space Station. In-orbit construction on the Station began in November 1998, and it has been staffed non-stop with international crews since November 2000. The first Station crew, made up of U.S. commander Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, was launched on board a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The crew returned to Earth on the Space Shuttle Discovery in March 2001. BBC - Solar System - Yuri Gagarin - first man in space - facts, video, pictures & news Yuri Gagarin First man in space On 12 April 1961 Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space when he orbited the Earth once during a 108 minute flight.

In 1960 Gagarin, a fighter pilot, was shortlisted for the Vostok 1 programme, which built on the success of Sputnik 1 just three years earlier. German Titov was Gagarin's closest rival for selection - both men tried to impress space programme director Sergei Korolev . Gagarin became an instant worldwide celebrity and visited several countries including Britain in 1961. However, he was never to emulate his success and died in a military training flight on 27 March 1968, aged 34. Image: Yuri Gagarin before launch (credit: Ria Novosti/SPL) Watch and listen to clips from past programmes TV clips [7] Gagarin in London Yuri Gagarin faces the British press in July 1961. Yuri Gagarin answers questions at a press conference on his visit to Britain in July 1961. His answers are translated into English by Boris Belitsky of Radio Moscow. Gagarin became a worldwide celebrity but never returned to space.

From 1962 he served as deputy to the Supreme Soviet and was deputy director of cosmonaut training until his death during a training flight in March 1968. Gagarin answers press questions Yuri Gagarin gives an unexpected interview to BBC reporter Peter Woods. Yuri Gagarin gives an unexpected interview to BBC reporter Peter Woods at a champagne reception held in his honour in July 1961. His answers are translated into English by Boris Belitsky of Radio Moscow. Interview with Gagarin Gagarin answers questions at Earls Court in London during a live 1961 broadcast. Major Yuri Gagarin answers questions put to him by Richard Dimbleby, Tom Margerison, science editor of the Sunday Times, and Yuri Fokin of the Soviet Television Service during a live broadcast from the Russian exhibition at Earls Court in 1961. His answers are interpreted by Boris Belitsky of Moscow Radio. Gagarin radio report The BBC Home Service reports on Yuri Gagarin's flight (audio only). The BBC Home Service reports on Yuri Gagarin's flight into space. The contributors in this clip include Sir Bernard Lovell, first director of Jodrell Bank Observatory.

(Image credit: Ria Novosti/Science Photo Library) A List of Firsts and Milestones in Space Exploration By Nick Greene Updated March 04, 2016. Space exploration began back in the 1950s when the first rockets were sent to space. For more decades, the space agencies of the world have been lofting people, animals, plants, and more into space. Let's look at some of the many accomplishments — the "space firsts". The first Earthling in space: Laika , a dog, was launched into space on the Sputnik 2 in 1957. She survived the launch and for a time in space, but after a week, the air ran out and Laika died. The following year, as its orbit deteriorated, the craft left space and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and, without heat shields, burned up along with Laika's body. The first human in space: Yuri Gagarin , a cosmonaut from the USSR, was launched into space on April 12, 1961 aboard the Vostok 1. His flight lasted one hour and forty-five minutes, orbiting the Earth one time.

Describing the view of the Earth from space, Gagarin radioed, "It has a very beautiful sort of halo, a rainbow." The first American in space: Alan Shepard was launched into space aboard Mercury 3 on May 5, 1961 to become the first American in space. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World His craft did not achieve orbit, but rose to a height of 116 miles and traveled 303 miles before safely parachuting into the Atlantic Ocean. The first American to orbit the Earth: On February 20, 1962, the Friendship 7 capsule carried astronaut John Glenn around the Earth three times on a five-hour space flight. He was the first American to orbit our planet. The first woman in space: Valentina Tereshkova flew in space aboard the Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963. The first American woman in space: On June 18, 1983, the space shuttle Challenger lifted off with Sally Ride aboard. She was the first American woman in space.

The youngest American in space: Besides being the first American woman in space, Sally Ride was also the youngest American when she rode the Challenger in 1983. The first person to make a second trip into space: Gemini 3, the first piloted Gemini flight, included Virgil "Gus" Grissom among its crew as it lifted off in March of 1965. He had previously flown in space in July, 1961 aboard the second suborbital Mercury mission. The first African-American in space: August 30, 1983, the space shuttle Challenger lifted off with Guion "Guy" Bluford, Jr. , the first African American in space. The first African-American woman in space: Mae Jemison lifted off in the space shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992, first African American woman in space. The first space walk: Alexei Leonov, a Soviet cosmonaut, was the first person to step outside of his spacecraft while in space, on March 18, 1965.

He spent 12 minutes as he floated as far as 17.5 feet from his Voskhod 2 craft, enjoying the first space walk ever. The first American to walk in space: During the Gemini 4 mission, Ed White made a 21 minute EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity), also known as a space walk. The first American woman to pilot a spacecraft: Eileen Collins piloted the space shuttle Discovery in 1995. The first man on the moon: With his famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Neil Armstrong , on the Apollo 11 mission, stepped onto the Lunar surface on July 20, 1969, becoming the first man on the Moon. The second human to step on the moon: Armstrong's Apollo 11 crewmate, Buzz Aldrin, was the second person to step on the moon, also on July 20, 1969.

The first re-usable rocket: Although both SpaceX and Blue Origins have been developing re-usable rockets to lift people and payloads to space, the first launch of a re-usable was made by Blue Origins on November 23, 2015. Yuri Gagarin First Human in Space Credit: ESA/alldayru.com On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1). Space Pioneers: Gagarin and Korolev Credit: RSC Energia The first human ever to fly in space, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (left), meets with spacecraft designer Sergei Korolev. Vostok 3KA-3 Spacecraft Credit: ESA The Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1) awaits the launch of Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, which would make him the first human to travel into space.

Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space (Infographic) Credit: Karl Tate/SPACE.com On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the world's first space traveler. See how the first human spaceflight worked with this Space.com infographic . History's First Human Spaceflight Blasts Off Credit: NASA The Soviet Union's powerful Vostok launch vehicle put cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's capsule high enough for one 108-minute orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961. Family Man Credit: ESA/alldayru.com Famed Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is seen here with daughters Yelena and Galina in an undated photo. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1). Looking Up Credit: Valentina Mikhno via Russian Federal Space Agency/Roscosmos Famed Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space - and others pose for a photo with a model of a winged spacecraft.

Vostok Up Close Credit: RSC Energia This photo released by spacecraft manufacturer RSC Energia shows the Vostok spacecraft. On April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin launched into orbit on Vostok 1 to become the first human to fly in space. Dressing in Layers Yuri Gagarin seen dressing in a heating/cooling garment worn under his orange pressure suit. Walking to the Launch Pad Credit: RSC Energia Famed Russian spacecraft S. P. Korolev (in fedora hat) and Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin walk to the launch pad on April 12, 1961 ahead of the launch of Vostok 1, which would become the first manned spaceship to send a human into space. Almost to the Pad Credit: RSC Energia Russian spacecraft designer S. P. Korolev (partially obscured, in fedora hat) and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin approach the launch pad ahead of the April 12, 1961 launch of Vostok 1, the first human spaceflight.

Waving to the Crowd Credit: RSC Energia Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin prepares to board the Vostok 1 spacecraft on April 12, 1961 to make history's first human spaceflight. Getting in the Spacecraft Credit: Evgeny A. Sivukhin via Russian Federal Space Agency/Roscosmos In this collage of photos posted by Russia's Federal Space Agency, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin has arrived at the Vostok 1 spacecraft, and climbs inside ahead of the April 12, 1961 launch that made him the first human in space. Re-entry Capsule of Vostok 1 Credit: ESA Here the re-entry capsule of the Vostok 3KA-3 (also known as Vostok 1) spacecraft (Vostok 1) is seen with charring and its parachute on the ground after landing south west of Engels, in the Saratov region of southern Russia.

Yuri Gagarin, First Human in Space Credit: NASA On April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (left, on the way to the launch pad) made the first human spaceflight, a 108-minute orbital journey in his Vostok 1 spacecraft. Newspapers like The Huntsville Times (right) trumpeted Gagarin's accomplishment. NASA Reacts to Vostok 1 Credit: NASA After the successful spaceflight of Yuri Gagarin, the first person to fly in space, as well as orbit Earth, on April 12, 1961 NASA held a press conference at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC to respond to questions concerning Gagarin's flight and the status of the American space program. From left to right: Dr. Robert C. Seamans Jr., Associate Administrator; Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Deputy Administrator; Mr. James E. Webb, Administrator; and Dr. Abe Silverstein, Director of Space Flight Programs.

Gagarin as He Was, Playing Pool Credit: RSC Energia In a lighter moment, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin - the first human to fly in space - poses for a photo while playing billiards. Gagarin in Sri Lanka Credit: Embassy of Russia at Sri Lanka via Russian Federal Space Agency/Roscosmos This collage of photos from Russia's Federal Space Agency shows cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin receiving honors in Sri Lanka. Signing Autographs Credit: Andreas Veize via Russian Federal Space Agency/Roscosmos Famed cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin signs autographs in 1963, two years after becoming the first human to fly in space on April 12, 1961. Yuri Gagarin Credit: S.P. Korolev RSC "Energia" Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space. Before His Last Take-off Credit: RSC Energia In 1968, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin trained for another space mission, but was killed in a plane crash before doing so. Here, Gagarin is shown just before that flight in a photo released by the Russian aerospace firm RSC Energia.

Gone but Not Forgotten Credit: ESA Jean-François Clervoy, ESA astronaut, said, "On the STS-84 mission of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, in May 1997, I stayed nearly five days on the Russian Mir space station. When you enter of the core module of Mir, you could not be unaware of the photo of Gagarin." Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre Credit: ESA/André Kuipers The training center for cosmonauts named after first man in space Yuri Gagarin is located in Star City, about 30 kilometers north of Moscow. Yuri Gagarin in Stamp Form Credit: Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) The legacy cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and his historic launch on April 12, 1961, ushering in the era of human spaceflight, continues today. This year, Russia is releasing these commemorative stamps to honor Gagarin's 108-minute orbital flight.

Reaching for the Stars Credit: Victor Zelentsov/NASA A larger-than-life statue of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin with his arms stretched toward the heavens stands at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the launch site of his historic April 12, 1961 spaceflight, making him the first human in space. Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin (left), NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria (right) and space tourist Anousheh Ansari pose with Gagarin's statue on Sept. 13, 2006 while training for a launch toward the International Space Station. Monument to Spaceflight Credit: NASA A monument in honor of cosmonaut Yuriy A. Gagarin, the first human to fly in space, stands in front of a cosmonaut apartment building at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. Yuri Gagarin on the Space Station Credit: NASA In 2001, Russian cosmonauts Yuri V. Lonchakov and Yury V.

Usachev hold a photo of the late cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin for a photo aboard the International Space Station to mark the 40th anniversary of Gagarin's spaceflight on April 12, 1961. Astronaut Ron Garan with booster for "Yuri Gagarin" Soyuz spacecraft Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Ron Garan poses in front of the booster for the "Yuri Gagarin" Soyuz spacecraft that will carry him and two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station. Soyuz Named For Yuri Gagarin Blasts Off Credit: NASA TV A Russian Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft, named for famed cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space - launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 4, 2011 at 6:18 p.m. EDT. Yuri Gagarin: Spaceman Credit: ESA On 12 April 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space when he launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1).

previous | next First Human in Space Credit: ESA/alldayru.com On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1). Space Pioneers: Gagarin and Korolev Credit: RSC Energia The first human ever to fly in space, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (left), meets with spacecraft designer Sergei Korolev. Vostok 3KA-3 Spacecraft Credit: ESA The Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1) awaits the launch of Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, which would make him the first human to travel into space. Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space (Infographic) Credit: Karl Tate/SPACE.com On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the world's first space traveler. See how the first human spaceflight worked with this Space.com infographic .

History's First Human Spaceflight Blasts Off Credit: NASA The Soviet Union's powerful Vostok launch vehicle put cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's capsule high enough for one 108-minute orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961. Family Man Credit: ESA/alldayru.com Famed Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is seen here with daughters Yelena and Galina in an undated photo. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1). Looking Up Credit: Valentina Mikhno via Russian Federal Space Agency/Roscosmos Famed Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space - and others pose for a photo with a model of a winged spacecraft. Vostok Up Close Credit: RSC Energia This photo released by spacecraft manufacturer RSC Energia shows the Vostok spacecraft. On April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin launched into orbit on Vostok 1 to become the first human to fly in space.

Dressing in Layers Yuri Gagarin seen dressing in a heating/cooling garment worn under his orange pressure suit. Walking to the Launch Pad Credit: RSC Energia Famed Russian spacecraft S. P. Korolev (in fedora hat) and Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin walk to the launch pad on April 12, 1961 ahead of the launch of Vostok 1, which would become the first manned spaceship to send a human into space. Almost to the Pad Credit: RSC Energia Russian spacecraft designer S. P. Korolev (partially obscured, in fedora hat) and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin approach the launch pad ahead of the April 12, 1961 launch of Vostok 1, the first human spaceflight. Waving to the Crowd Credit: RSC Energia Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin prepares to board the Vostok 1 spacecraft on April 12, 1961 to make history's first human spaceflight. Getting in the Spacecraft Credit: Evgeny A.

Sivukhin via Russian Federal Space Agency/Roscosmos In this collage of photos posted by Russia's Federal Space Agency, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin has arrived at the Vostok 1 spacecraft, and climbs inside ahead of the April 12, 1961 launch that made him the first human in space. Re-entry Capsule of Vostok 1 Credit: ESA Here the re-entry capsule of the Vostok 3KA-3 (also known as Vostok 1) spacecraft (Vostok 1) is seen with charring and its parachute on the ground after landing south west of Engels, in the Saratov region of southern Russia. Yuri Gagarin, First Human in Space Credit: NASA On April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (left, on the way to the launch pad) made the first human spaceflight, a 108-minute orbital journey in his Vostok 1 spacecraft. Newspapers like The Huntsville Times (right) trumpeted Gagarin's accomplishment.

NASA Reacts to Vostok 1 Credit: NASA After the successful spaceflight of Yuri Gagarin, the first person to fly in space, as well as orbit Earth, on April 12, 1961 NASA held a press conference at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC to respond to questions concerning Gagarin's flight and the status of the American space program. From left to right: Dr. Robert C. Seamans Jr., Associate Administrator; Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Deputy Administrator; Mr. James E. Webb, Administrator; and Dr. Abe Silverstein, Director of Space Flight Programs. Gagarin as He Was, Playing Pool Credit: RSC Energia In a lighter moment, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin - the first human to fly in space - poses for a photo while playing billiards. Gagarin in Sri Lanka Credit: Embassy of Russia at Sri Lanka via Russian Federal Space Agency/Roscosmos This collage of photos from Russia's Federal Space Agency shows cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin receiving honors in Sri Lanka.

Signing Autographs Credit: Andreas Veize via Russian Federal Space Agency/Roscosmos Famed cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin signs autographs in 1963, two years after becoming the first human to fly in space on April 12, 1961. Yuri Gagarin Credit: S.P. Korolev RSC "Energia" Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space. Before His Last Take-off Credit: RSC Energia In 1968, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin trained for another space mission, but was killed in a plane crash before doing so. Here, Gagarin is shown just before that flight in a photo released by the Russian aerospace firm RSC Energia. Gone but Not Forgotten Credit: ESA Jean-François Clervoy, ESA astronaut, said, "On the STS-84 mission of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, in May 1997, I stayed nearly five days on the Russian Mir space station.

When you enter of the core module of Mir, you could not be unaware of the photo of Gagarin." Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre Credit: ESA/André Kuipers The training center for cosmonauts named after first man in space Yuri Gagarin is located in Star City, about 30 kilometers north of Moscow. Yuri Gagarin in Stamp Form Credit: Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) The legacy cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and his historic launch on April 12, 1961, ushering in the era of human spaceflight, continues today. This year, Russia is releasing these commemorative stamps to honor Gagarin's 108-minute orbital flight. Reaching for the Stars Credit: Victor Zelentsov/NASA A larger-than-life statue of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin with his arms stretched toward the heavens stands at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the launch site of his historic April 12, 1961 spaceflight, making him the first human in space.

Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin (left), NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria (right) and space tourist Anousheh Ansari pose with Gagarin's statue on Sept. 13, 2006 while training for a launch toward the International Space Station. Monument to Spaceflight Credit: NASA A monument in honor of cosmonaut Yuriy A. Gagarin, the first human to fly in space, stands in front of a cosmonaut apartment building at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. Yuri Gagarin on the Space Station Credit: NASA In 2001, Russian cosmonauts Yuri V. Lonchakov and Yury V. Usachev hold a photo of the late cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin for a photo aboard the International Space Station to mark the 40th anniversary of Gagarin's spaceflight on April 12, 1961.

Astronaut Ron Garan with booster for "Yuri Gagarin" Soyuz spacecraft Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Ron Garan poses in front of the booster for the "Yuri Gagarin" Soyuz spacecraft that will carry him and two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station. Soyuz Named For Yuri Gagarin Blasts Off Credit: NASA TV A Russian Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft, named for famed cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space - launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 4, 2011 at 6:18 p.m. EDT. Yuri Gagarin: Spaceman Credit: ESA On 12 April 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space when he launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1). First American launched into space, May 5, 1961 - POLITICO POLITICO On this day in 1961, the Soviet-American space race, in which the Kremlin had taken a lead, took a favorable turn for the United States when Navy Cmdr.

Alan Shepard became the first American astronaut to travel in space. First American launched into space, May 5, 1961 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter On this day in 1961, the Soviet-American space race, in which the Kremlin had taken a lead, took a favorable turn for the United States when Navy Cmdr. Alan Shepard became the first American astronaut to travel in space. Shepard’s suborbital flight aboard Freedom 7 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., to a height of 116 miles was hailed by President John F. Kennedy as a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower, prodded by a Democratic-controlled Congress, created NASA. The agency’s primary mission was to match and, hopefully in time, surpass Soviet achievements in space, which began with the launching of the world’s first artificial satellite — Sputnik 1 — in 1957. In the ensuing years, the rival superpowers strived to become the first nation to put a man in space.

Story Continued Below On April 12, 1961, the Soviets won that race with the launch of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1. A month later, Shepard’s suborbital flight, although it lasted only 15 minutes, succeeded in restoring public faith in the lagging and, until that point, failure-prone U.S. space program. NASA continued to trail the Soviets’ space efforts until the late 1960s. That changed with the successes of the Apollo lunar program. In July 1969, the Americans took a leap forward with Apollo 11, a three-stage spacecraft that took U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon and returned them safely to Earth. On Feb. 5, 1971, Shepard became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission. Although he wore thick gloves, which forced him to swing a golf club with one hand, he struck two balls with a six iron, driving the second one, as he jokingly put it, “miles and miles and miles.” Source: “The Right Stuff,” by Tom Wolfe (1979)

Question: What was the name of the first human spaceflight in which Yuri Gugarin was sent into space in April 1961?
Answer: Vostok 1