Date: April 12, 2011

Title: 108 minutes

Podcaster: Artyom Doljikov

Description: 50 years ago on this day April 12th Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey into outer space on board his Vostok 1 spacecraft!

Bio: Artyom Doljikov works as art-director for a small advertising agency in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Astronomy and science his love from childhood. He is raising two sons with his wife Anna, and trying share his love for science with people around him.

Sponsor: David Agland and dedicated to Nancy, who inspired his curiosity and passion for Science and Skepticism.

Transcript:

Hi. My name is Artyom Doljikov and this is April 12th edition of the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast from Saint-Petersburg, Russia. At first let me congratulate everyone with 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight.

And let us hope that the next 50 years bring us, human space flight to another planet.

One of the bright memories of my childhood was a black-and-white newsreel of a man in military uniform walking across airfield. My father always told me that his shoelaces was loose. Man with loose shoelaces was Yuri Gagarin.

As a child, I thought that Yuri Gagarin was most important and famous figure in the world. And indeed he was. At least for me.

Gagarin was born in the village of Klushino near Gjatsk on March 9th 1934. At a young age, Yuri became interested in space and planets, and began to dream about his space tour which would one day become a reality. While in technical high school in Saratov, he joined the “AeroClub”, and learned to fly a light aircraft, a hobby that would take up an increasing portion of his time. In 1955, after completing his technical schooling, he entered military flight training at the Pilot’s School. Post-graduation, he was assigned to Luostari airbase in Murmansk region, close to the Norwegian border, where terrible weather made every flight a risky task.

He became a Lieutenant in the Soviet Air Force on November 5th 1957 and on November 6th of 1959 he received the rank of Senior Lieutenant.

On december 9th, 1959 Gagarin wrote a letter asking to enroll him in a group of candidates for cosmonauts. A week later he was summoned to Moscow to undergo a comprehensive medical examination at the Central Scientific Research Aviation Hospital. Early next year, another special medical board, recognized Lieutenant Gagarin as capable for space flight.

On March 3, 1960 special order of the Commander of the Air Force Konstantin Vershinin enrolled Gagarin in a group of candidates for cosmonauts, and on March 11th together with family Gagarin moved to a new place of work Starcity.

In addition, to Gagarin there were still contenders for the first flight into space, making a total of twenty people (so called Air Force Group #1). Candidates were recruited specifically among fighter pilots because such pilots have already experience g-forces, stress situation and pressure gradients. The selection of the first cosmonaut was based on medical, psychological, and several other parameters like age, height, weight, ability to altitude and stratospheric adjustment, quick reflexes, physical endurance and mental balance.

Six candidates were chosen out of twenty. Sergey Korolev chief designer of a space program was in a hurry, as there were evidence that on the April 20th of 1961 United States would send man in space. Thats why a launch was planned between April 11th and April 17th 1961.

Who will fly into space, defined at the last moment, at a speciall meeting, this people was Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov, his double. Officials prepared three different news reports on Gagarin’s flight into space. The first – “Successful”. The second one in case of a landing on the territory of another country or in the oceans – asking assistance in locating Gagarin, and the third -“Tragic” if Gagarin would not return alive.

Several key features were missing on Vostok 1 spaceship as a result of a space race between USSR and United States : 1) emergency rescue system at launch, 2) a system for soft-landing and 3) back-up braking system was removed during the construction of Vostok 1. The last decision was justified by the fact that when you put the vehicle into low earth orbit of around 200 km. it is in any case would de-orbit within 10 days due to natural brake on the upper layers of atmosphere. Same 10 days were calculated for the life support systems.

Start of the Vostok-1 was performed on April 12th, 1961 at 09:07 am Moscow time from the Baikonur cosmodrome. Vostok 1 boosters worked without any problems, but at the final stage radio system that was supposed to turn off the engines of the third stage, did not fired. Engine shutdown occurred after firing back-up mechanism, but spaceship has already managed to go into orbit, 100 km. higher than was planned. Derailment from such orbit by aerodynamic braking could take on various estimates from 20 to 50 days.

In orbit Gagarin was conducted a simple experiment: drinking, eating, writing. “Putting” a pencil next to him, he accidentally discovered that he immediately began to float away. From this Gagarin concluded that the pencils and other objects in the space, should be tethered. All his feelings and observations, he taped on a recorder.

Before the flight was not yet known how the human mind would behave in a space, and special protection in case of insanity of first cosmonaut was installed on the ship. To enable manual control, Gagarin had to open a sealed envelope, with a special code by typing which he than can access control panel for the Vostok 1.

At the end of flight, braking system worked as planned, but with not enough momentum, so automatic has issued a ban on the compartments separation. As a result, for 10 minutes before entering the upper atmosphere spaceship randomly tumbled at a speed of 1 revolution per second. Gagarin had decided not to frighten his team on Earth and calmly reported abnormal situations on board of the ship. In denser layers of the atmosphere, temperature sensors send command to the lander and engine compartment finally separated. Another surprise (which Gagarin had not been expected), was melting of a metal in outer layers of lander shell due the high temperature.

At an altitude of 7 km. accordingly to the flight plan Gagarin ejected himself and after that the lander and cosmonaut continued their descent separately. Valve, through which outside air should flow, in an airtight spacesuit didn’t open immediately so Gagarin was almost choked during his descend. The last problem on this flight was landing – Gagarin could descened into the icy water of the Volga river. Yuri had a good pre-flight training so he took parachute away from the river and landed safely two kilometers away from the river.

At 10:48 am radar of nearby military air-base spotted unrecognized target – it was a lander. Only the day before landing people at the base was warned that they should follow container from the sky. After making one revolution around the Earth, in 10:55 am on 108 minute of the flight the spaceship completed the mission.

Due to a failure in the braking system Gagarin landed in the fields near the village Smelovka. The first people who met cosmonaut after the flight, turned out to be a wife of local forester Anna Takhtarova and her six year old granddaughter. Soon the people from military base and local farmers came to the landing site. One group of soldiers secured the lander, while the other drove Gagarin to the base. At the base Gagarin reported to division commander of defense: “Please convey to Air Force Commander: the task complete, landed in a given area, feel good, no bruises or damages. Gagarin.

After the flight Gagarin made this note on a piece of paper!

When i orbited Earth in a spaceship. I saw how beautiful our planet is. We shall keep this beauty and not destroy it. Gagarin

Clear skies!

End of podcast:

365 Days of Astronomy
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