The flight of Yuri Gagarin into space was a grand event for all of humanity. The name of the first astronaut went down in world history. You will learn about the details of the first space travel, the dangers that awaited man in uncharted spaces of the Universe from this article.
Purpose of flight
During the first flight on the Vostok spacecraft, Gagarin was supposed to make one revolution around the Earth. The flight altitude was to be 180-230 kilometers, duration - 80 minutes. During an extraterrestrial journey, the astronaut needed to find out how a person feels in outer space on a ship specially equipped for his life, evaluate the operation of all aircraft systems, and check the connection with the Earth. Gagarin had to make sure that the astronaut and spacecraft landing facilities were safe and reliable. How long did Gagarin's flight last? You will learn about this by reading this article.
Possible risks
USSR participated in the space race. There was information that in 1961 (April 20), Americans plan to send a man into space. Therefore, the decision about who will be the first astronaut was made very quickly. At a meeting of the Civil Code, the candidacy of Yuri Gagarin was approved; German Titov became his understudy. The ship "East" was also created in a short time. The equipment of the aircraft was greatly simplified. Designers had to sacrifice soft landing systems and emergency rescue systems at launch. In addition, there was no duplicate braking system on the ship. This decision was motivated by the fact that in such a low orbit, the spacecraft will go off the trajectory and fall to the Earth itself due to natural causes - braking about the upper atmosphere. This process, according to experts, should have taken ten days. At the same time, life support systems were designed . About how long Gagarin's space flight actually lasted - further.
Start
The launch of the Vostok spacecraft was carried out at 09:07 Moscow time, in April 1961, on April 12, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. On board the aircraft was Gagarin - a pilot-cosmonaut who decided to conquer outer space, despite the possible risk to life and health. Before the start, Yuri said the legendary phrase: "Let's go!" "Vostok" worked satisfactorily, but at the last stage the radio control system failed, so the third-stage engine turned off after the ship was in space. The actual height of the orbit along which the spacecraft began to move exceeded the estimated 100 km. According to declassified data, its parameters were 327x180 km. If the ship’s braking system did not work, then under the influence of the atmosphere the apparatus could return to Earth from 20 to 50 days. This would mean the inevitable death of the astronaut. Everyone knows how long Gagarin’s flight lasted. Fortunately, the journey of Yuri ended happily.
In orbit
On the same day, the whole world learned about how many minutes Gagarin’s flight lasted - the astronaut was on board the Vostok spaceship for 108 minutes. All this time, Yuri conducted the simplest experiments: drank, ate, tried to write. Gagarin’s attempt to put a pencil next to him led him to swim away instantly. The astronaut concluded that the necessary objects in space must be tied. Yuri recorded all his observations on a tape recorder. Since before the flight, scientists did not know how stable the human psyche would turn out in space, the control panel of the ship was blocked. The password was in a special envelope, which Gagarin was supposed to open in orbit. According to legend, the coveted combination of numbers (125) well-wishers informed Yura before the flight.
Emergency situation
How long did Gagarin's flight last? It could be much shorter and result in the death of the first astronaut, because the landing of the ship was no less dangerous than the launch. The braking system designed by Isaev worked with a slight flaw. The automatic separation of the compartments did not take place, as a result of which, before entering the upper atmosphere, the spacecraft randomly threw from side to side at a speed of 1 revolution per second. Gagarin did not lose his temper and reported to the Earth about an emergency situation in conditional terms. Fortunately, the cables of the instrument-aggregate compartment burned out in denser layers of the atmosphere, and it finally separated from the ship. Further landing of the device took place in a more relaxed mode. How long did the flight of Yuri Gagarin last? Only 108 minutes, and how many events happened in this short period of time!
Overload
The descent of the Vostok spacecraft, like all other spacecraft of the same class, went along a ballistic trajectory. This meant that the astronaut experienced tenfold overload during landing. Yuri was prepared for this test, and he successfully passed it. All the scientists and designers related to the launch of the first man into space knew how long Gagarin’s flight lasted, because they watched the ship in real time. However, it was unlikely that the astronaut had the opportunity to keep track of time. Psychological loads were much stronger than physical ones. After the ship entered the dense atmosphere, the metal sheathing began to melt under the influence of high temperature, the value of which increased to 3-5 thousand degrees. Streams of molten metal flowed down the windows of the windows. The ship's cabin crackled menacingly. To withstand such a load on the psyche was difficult even for an astronaut prepared for any unexpected events. It is interesting that Gagarin’s wristwatch in flight withstood the test of overloads and worked properly during the whole trip.
Hard landing
After the "East" dropped to a mark of seven kilometers above the Earth, Gagarin ejected. The capsule and the astronaut began to descend to the earth separately, each with his own parachute. In a completely sealed suit, the breathing valve did not immediately open. The astronaut nearly died. The last test was the threat of immersion in the ice current of the Volga. Skillfully managing the slings, Gagarin managed to avoid this danger. He landed a few kilometers from the riverbank.
Earth meeting
How long Gagarin's flight in space lasted no longer mattered. Thanks to his courage, incredible endurance and the will to win, the astronaut forever imprinted his name on the pages of world history. The task was completed. The first outer space explorer was our compatriot, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin. And this event is hard to overestimate. Due to malfunctions in the operation of the brake propulsion system, the landing did not take place in the planned area, the Stalingrad region, but in the Saratov region, in the vicinity of the city of Engels. According to the official version, Corporal V. G. Sapeltsev was the first to notice Gagarin, and Major A.N. Gassiev met and delivered the first cosmonaut to the nearest military unit. However, according to other sources, the first ones Yuri met after landing were Anna, the forester's wife, and her granddaughter Margarita. Later, military and local residents arrived at the scene. Gagarin was taken to the military unit, from where the first cosmonaut reported to the local air defense commander about the successfully completed mission.
Glory to the hero!
Yuri Gagarin became a symbolic person who took the first step into the unknown expanses of the universe. It is well known that he flew into space as a senior lieutenant, and already landed as a major. All sorts of bonuses and awards fell on a simple Russian guy. The English queen called him not an earthly man, but "heavenly" and, contrary to etiquette, took a picture with him. Gagarin's sunny smile has become a real brand. Yuri stood the test of fame with dignity. His feat showed the whole world what the Russian people are capable of. And at present, we are proud that it was our compatriot who made the first flight into space. Gold medal to them. Yuri Gagarin is awarded to astronauts and astronauts who have contributed to space exploration. The Federal Space Agency has established a special award - the sign of Gagarin. The name of the first cosmonaut named many squares, areas, streets, boulevards, avenues. The city of Gzhatsk, in which Yuri spent his childhood, was renamed Gagarin. About how long the flight of Gagarin lasted, they know around the world. The name of the astronaut is repeated in different languages with pride and admiration.