Mission planners avoided splashdowns at sea, in case US Navy ships were in the recovery area with surveillance cameras at the ready. Instead the Vostok crew modules were brought down on land, safely within Soviet territory. The favoured touchdown site … Continue reading
Posted in The Space Race, Yuri Gagarin, YURI's DAY, Yuri's life
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Vostok was navigated mainly from the ground, via radio. The command signals were received by these large aerials. The first cosmonauts were discouraged from interfering with their flights, and there was even a coded keypad in the cabin to prevent … Continue reading
On April 12, 1961, Russia broadcast a historic radio bulletin that stunned the world. Yuri Gagarin, a 27-year-old Soviet Air Force pilot, had just become the first human ever to fly in space, aboard a small capsule named Vostok (‘East’). … Continue reading
FACT – Russian winters are long and harsh. Vostok space suits included a bright orange outer garment, so that cosmonauts could be easily located in snow. Continue reading
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FACT – the cosmonauts were equipped with pistols in case they landed in jungle and had to protect themselves against wild animals. The TP-82 pistol (Russian: ТП-82) was a triple-barreled Soviet firearm that was intended as a survival aid to be used after landings … Continue reading
Posted in The Space Race
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