The Khrushchev period of rule in the Soviet Union was remembered not only by dull and similar houses, corn and the thaw. It was during the time of Nikita Sergeyevich that the space arms race began between the two superpowers of that time: the Soviet Union and the United States. Cosmonauts of the USSR are known in every corner of the civilized world. They were the first in space, once inaccessible to humans. The struggle for space has become an integral part of the cultural, ideological and technological rivalry between countries, thereby studying space was not only military and scientific in nature, but also social.
The first person to be in space and in
orbit of the Earth was the world-famous today, Yu. A. Gagarin. The cosmonauts of the USSR were like the glorious heroes of ancient Greek epics. They were courageous, honest and courageous. They attracted a lot of attention not only domestically, but also abroad. Their sayings were passed from mouth to mouth and were widely reflected in the culture. So, for example, after the first flight into space, Yuri Gagarin visited more than thirty countries of the world and traveled a lot inside the USSR. No wonder, because it was his face and name that became the real banner and symbol of the Soviet Union as the first space superpower to make a manned flight into space. On March 25, 1968, a Soviet cosmonaut crashed on an airplane during training sessions. The day of the tragic death of Colonel Gagarin became a nationwide mourning.
The first cosmonauts of the USSR were not only men. On June 16, 1963, the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, went into space on the Vostok-6 spacecraft. The Soviet Union wanted to put two female cosmonaut detachments into orbit, but in the end, only Tereshkova chose. The selection of the first woman in space was as tough as the man’s. They had to spend ten days in the sound chamber, endure incredible physical stress and high temperatures, and also undergo the necessary parachute training. It is worth noting that the choice for Valentina Tereshkova also fell due to her class origin: she was from a simple working family, while the other applicants were from families of employees.
Modern cosmonautics in Russia is in a period of stagnation and is inferior in pace to American space programs. The cosmonauts of the USSR since socialism are much more famous than their Russian counterparts. This is due to a reduction in funds invested in space exploration in our country. In 2009, only $ 2.8 billion was spent on the development of astronautics in Russia, while the United States invested $ 48.8 billion in this area.
Well-known scientists in the field of astronautics, such as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, German Obert and Robert Goddard, are also space heroes. USSR astronauts and US astronauts are almost pop idols, while great scientists remain forgotten. But it was Konstantin Tsiolkovsky who was the first to propose the use of rockets for flying into space, and German Obert described the principles of such a flight.
Today, almost anyone can become an astronaut. Space tourism is developing incredibly fast. And if the obsessive desire to see the “blue ball” with your own eyes does not leave your head, you need to acquire good health and 63 million dollars in your pocket.