Gagarin, Yury Alekseyevich
- Gagarin, Yury Alekseyevich
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▪ Soviet cosmonaut
born March 9, 1934, near Gzhatsk, Russian S.F.S.R. [now Gagarin, Russia]
died March 27, 1968, near Moscow, U.S.S.R. [now Russia]
Soviet cosmonaut who in 1961 became the first man to travel into space.
The son of a carpenter on a collective farm, Gagarin graduated as a molder from a trade school near Moscow in 1951. He continued his studies at the industrial college at Saratov and concurrently took a course in flying. On completing this course, he entered the Soviet Air Force cadet school at Orenburg, from which he graduated in 1957.
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Vostok 1 spacecraft was launched at 9:07 AM Moscow time on April 12, 1961, orbited the Earth once in 1 hour 29 minutes at a maximum altitude of 187 miles (301 km), and landed at 10:55 AM in the Soviet Union. His spaceflight brought him immediate worldwide fame; he was awarded the Order of Lenin and given the titles of Hero of the Soviet Union and Pilot Cosmonaut of the Soviet Union. Monuments were raised to him and streets renamed in his honour across the Soviet Union.
Gagarin never went into space again but took an active part in training other cosmonauts. He made several tours to other nations following his historic flight, and from 1962 he served as a deputy to the Supreme Soviet. Gagarin was killed with another pilot in the crash of a two-seat jet aircraft while on what was described as a routine training flight. His ashes were placed in a niche in the Kremlin wall. After his death in 1968 the town of Gzhatsk was renamed Gagarin.
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Universalium.
2010.
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Gagarin, Yury (Alekseyevich) — born March 9, 1934, near Gzhatsk, Russian S.F.S.R. died March 27, 1968, near Moscow Soviet cosmonaut. Son of a carpenter on a collective farm, he graduated from the Soviet air force s cadet school in 1957. In April 1961, aboard Vostok 1, he… … Universalium
Alekseyevich — (as used in expressions) Balakirev Mily Alekseyevich Brusilov Aleksey Alekseyevich Bunin Ivan Alekseyevich Fyodor Alekseyevich Gagarin Yury Alekseyevich Ivan Alekseyevich Kropotkin Peter Alekseyevich Pyotr Alekseyevich * * * … Universalium
Gagarin — biographical name Yury Alekseyevich 1934 1968 Russian astronaut … New Collegiate Dictionary
space exploration — Investigation of the universe beyond Earth s atmosphere by means of manned and unmanned spacecraft. Study of the use of rockets for spaceflight began early in the 20th century. Germany s research on rocket propulsion in the 1930s led to… … Universalium
astronaut — /as treuh nawt , not /, n. a person engaged in or trained for spaceflight. [1925 30; ASTRO + (AERO)NAUT, prob. via F astronaute; see ASTRONAUTICAL] * * * Person trained to pilot a spacecraft, operate any of its systems, or conduct research aboard … Universalium
Titov, Gherman Stepanovich — ▪ 2001 Russian cosmonaut (b. Sept. 11, 1935, Verkhneye Zhilino, Russia, U.S.S.R. d. Sept. 20, 2000, Moscow, Russia), as pilot of the Vostok 2 spacecraft on its Aug. 6–7, 1961, orbital flight of 25 hours 18 minutes, was the second human to… … Universalium
Vostok — /vos tok, vo stok /; Russ. /vu stawk /, n. one of a series of Soviet spacecraft, carrying one cosmonaut, used to make the world s first manned spaceflights. [1961; < Russ Vostók lit., east] * * * Any of a series of six manned Soviet spacecraft… … Universalium
International space endurance records — ▪ Table International space endurance records cosmonaut/astronaut primary habitat month and year launched days in space Yury A. Gagarin (Gagarin, Yury Alekseyevich) Vostok 1 April 1961 0.07 Gherman S. Titov (Titov, Gherman Stepanovich) Vostok 2… … Universalium
Significant milestones in space exploration — ▪ Table Significant milestones in space exploration date accomplished event details country or agency Oct. 4, 1957 first artificial Earth satellite Sputnik 1 U.S.S.R. Nov. 3, 1957 first animal launched into space dog Laika aboard Sputnik 2… … Universalium
launch vehicle — Aerospace. a rocket used to launch a spacecraft or satellite into orbit or a space probe into space. [1955 1960] * * * Rocket system that boosts a spacecraft into Earth orbit or beyond Earth s gravitational pull. A wide variety of launch vehicles … Universalium
