Today, April 12th, 1961, the Soviet Cosmonaut Jurij Alexejevitj Gagarin became the first man in space when he was sent up in Vostok 1 and completed an full orbit around Earth.

He died in an aircraft malfunction (MiG-15) in 1968.

Do svidaniya, Jurij

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDQ7hXMLxGc

Yay space!

Ground control to Major Tom !

Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone!


Woo Hoo!

I looked up at the moon on July 21, 1969 moments after Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon. It was a moment of supreme awe in my life that I will never forget!
It was amazing to know that they were there at that very moment.
Oh the chills even now!
I was full of it even then...I exclaimed "I can see them". Nobody believed me.

Happy 50th! Kudos to the pioneer Jurij !

[edit] Changed to not be guilty of duping the auto censor.

May his example inspire us to keep pushing towards Mars.

While I'm worried going into space will just draw the attention of alien invaders (possibly Martians - stay away from Mars you fools!), I admire this feat of science.

Hooray space!

Thanks for the reminder, D-11. I saw one of the last Apollo rockets on the launch pad in the distance when I was a kid, but I never saw a launch. They were spectacular by all accounts, a lot more powerful than the shuttle rockets. I hope I see humans walking on Mars someday, but I'll probably be gone by then at this rate.

What about all the people that died up there in secret tests before Gagarin?

Here is also a recently surfaced sad story about a fellow cosmonaut who died to save Yuri's life:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/04/08/134597833/cosmonaut-crashed-into-earth-crying-in-rage

No problem. It's a pretty much forgotten day anyway.
Well, we're running outta room here so we have to go somewhere someday.



Why am I not more surprised?

I see no reason in giving up space exploration, even if we can't find anyplace inhabitable. Too bad it is so blasted expensive.

OT: In a couple of days will be the 99th year since RMS Titanic sank.

I'm saving that thread for the 100th