 |
VOSTOK | |
| Crew: 1 | CDR - Yuri Gagarin |
| Launch | 12 April 1961 @ 0607:00 UT |
| Orbital incl: | 65.1 |
| Max alt: | 302 km |
| Orbits: | 1 |
| Dur: | 1:40:00 |
| Landing: | 12 April 1961 @ 0747:00 UT |
seven minutes from its planned launch time of 0900 Moscow Time (1200 local time), because of a stuck hatch. Because of concerns that the pilot may not be in control of himself, the control panel was locked. A key was supplied in an envelope with the code (1-2-5) in case of problems that the pilot needed to take control of the space craft. The pilot did not land with the craft, rather he ejected from the ship, and landed by parachute separately. For a long time, the Soviet Union denied this, as many FAI organizations required the pilot to land with the ship, or he would not have the record of being the first man in space. As was the custom of the Soviet Union, the first ship is not numbered. Although he served as back-up on Soyuz 1, Yuri Gagrain never orbited again, dying in a airplane crash on 27 March 1968. The cause of the plane crash has never been publicly revealed, although many theories exist, including Gagarin being drunk, or even a suicide attempt. The author feels this is unlikely, and unworthy of people to suggest such a thing. Gagarin had no reason to kill himself - he was more than likely to get a flight once the Soyuz problems were corrected. It is rather unlikely that - as a professional - he would go up drunk. Most likely, such rumors were started by anti-communist forces, looking to make the Soviets look bad. In truth, there was no reason to make them look bad, they were doing enough bad things as it was themselves. |