When did Vostok 1 launch and land?
Vostok 1 launched on the 12th of April 1961 at 09:07 Moscow Time. The spacecraft landed via parachute south west of Engels in the Saratov region at 08:05 UTC.
Vostok 1 launched on the 12th of April 1961 at 09:07 Moscow Time. The spacecraft landed via parachute south west of Engels in the Saratov region at 08:05 UTC.
Yuri Gagarin was selected to fly Vostok 1 after Nikolai Kamanin decided he needed a stronger person for the one day flight. Gagarin and Titov were informed of this decision during a meeting on the 9th of April.
The spacecraft carried 13 days of provisions including liver meat puree and chocolate sauce packed in metal toothpaste-style tubes. These items were chosen because they would not form crumbs during weightless conditions.
Engineer Gherman Lebedev hand-painted the letters SSRS onto Gagarins helmet to prevent him from being mistaken for a spy if shot down. This precaution followed the recent shooting down of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers less than a year prior.
The Vostok 1 re-entry capsule belongs to the S. P. Korolev RSC Energia Museum in Korolev City. It was temporarily loaned to the Space Pavilion at the VDNKh in Moscow in 2018.