First Human in Space

On April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. News of his successful launch stunned the world and spurred the American space program to catch up. The name of his spacecraft was Vostok 1. Vostok 1 had two sections. One section was for Yuri. The second section was for supplies needed for Gagarin to live such as oxygen and water. Vostok 1 circled Earth at a speed of 27,400 kilometers per hour. The flight lasted 108 minutes. Vostok's reentry was controlled by a computer. Gagarin did not land inside of Vostok 1. He ejected from the spacecraft and landed by parachute. Born near Moscow, Russia on Mar. 9, 1934, Gagarin joined the Soviet Air Force in 1955. By 1959, he was training t...View all