Half a century has passed since people first conquered space. This happened on April 12, 1961. For the first time, man saw our blue planet from space. Yuri Gagarin - the whole world recognized this name in a matter of moments! Yuri Gagarin is the very first cosmonaut on the planet. Initially, a group of 19 pilots was recruited for the space flight. Subsequently, six were selected from this group.
Over the course of a year, they intensively prepared for the first flight under a serious program. And only four months before the flight, out of six candidates, the leaders of the Training Center made a choice. Yuri Gagarin.
The most interesting thing is that technical knowledge and level physical training were not dominant. Designer Sergei Korolev and First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev understood perfectly well that the first person to be in space would become the face of the country. And the charm of Yuri Gagarin became a significant criterion for the equally brilliant level of training of all applicants for the flight.
The launch of the Vostok spacecraft, which carried the very first cosmonaut on the planet, took place on an April day fifty years ago at the Baikonur cosmodrome. Yuri Gagarin completed one revolution around the Earth. The first space flight lasted one hundred and eight minutes.
For the first time, Yu. Gagarin “fell ill” with the sky during his years of study at the Saratov Industrial College, entering the flying club (1951 - 1955). After graduating from college with honors, he entered the Chkalov Military Aviation School named after K.E. Voroshilov in the city of Orenburg. Having graduated from college with honors in 1957, he was sent to the Arctic for further service. It was precisely in those years that the recruitment of young pilots began for retraining for " new technology“Because of secrecy, “new technology” meant spaceships.
Having learned about the new recruitment, Gagarin wrote an application in 1959 with a request to enroll in such a composition. In 1967, development began on a new project for the “lunar program” and a new spaceship"Union". Vladimir Komarov and Yuri Gagarin were appointed for testing. During preparation, Gagarin was appointed as an understudy.
By October 1959, the future first cosmonaut had 265 hours of flight time. For the first space flight, Gagarin was awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union and was promoted to the rank of major ahead of schedule.
In 1968, during one of the training flights on the Mig-15UTI aircraft, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin unclear circumstances died. The very first cosmonaut of the planet was buried on Red Square near the Kremlin wall.
Universe and haut - to swim) - a person who flew into space on a spaceship. The word “cosmonaut” itself comes from cosmonautics - the science of interplanetary travel - both of these words, as well as the cosmodrome, first saw the light of day in the scientific work “Introduction to Cosmonautics” by A. A. Sternfeld, published in 1937. This word was officially approved only shortly before the first space flight took place: before that, representatives of this profession were called astronauts both in the USSR and in the USA. It is curious that the founder of the science of space travel, K. E. Tsiolkovsky, used the word “astronavigation” in his works, which is actually a synonym Greek word"astronautics".
The profession of an astronaut is special; it demands a lot from a person. high demands. An astronaut must first of all have excellent health. He has to work in unusual conditions: during insertion into orbit and especially when returning to Earth, considerable overloads are applied to him. And in orbit, he finds himself in conditions of weightlessness, completely unusual for an ordinary person.
An astronaut must be a courageous and courageous person, resourceful in any situation, able to quickly understand and make the right decisions in a rapidly changing environment. He must have high flying skill, have an excellent understanding of space technology, and must not only have a good knowledge of the research and experimental program, but also be able to work with scientific equipment.
The first cosmonauts in the USA (since 1959) and the USSR (since 1960) were recruited from among military pilots and test pilots, but the needs of astronautics for various specialists grew and soon doctors, engineers, scientists and representatives of other professions flew into space.
During the time that has passed since the beginning of space exploration, many records have been set. They have been rewritten and improved several times. And yet some of them will forever go down in history.
On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union launched the first ever spacecraft-satellite Vostok with a person on board into orbit around the Earth. This man was Yu. A. Gagarin, his flight lasted 108 minutes and he proved to the whole world that a person can live and work in space.
On March 19, 1965, A. A. Leonov became the first cosmonaut to emerge from the Voskhod-2 spacecraft in a special spacesuit and remain in space for 12 minutes. outer space.
On January 15, 1969, A. S. Eliseev, B. V. Volynov and E. V. Khrunov made a flight on the Soyuz 5 spacecraft, during which they docked with the Soyuz-4 spacecraft launched the day before, and then A. Eliseev and E. Khrunov went into outer space and transferred to the Soyuz-4 spacecraft under the control of a pilot-cosmonaut
More from
Was Yuri Gagarin the first man in space?
Myth Soviet propaganda: Gagarin was not the first in space? / "Unsolved Mysteries"
According to one source, Yuri Gagarin was the second man in space, according to others - the fourth, and some claim even the twelfth. In the Guinness Book of Records for 1964, the first cosmonaut on Earth was listed as Victor Ilyushin. Other
It is in our days that data is being revealed about what preceded Gagarin’s famous flight and who preceded it. The flight of April 12, 1961 - is it another myth of Soviet propaganda or is it still an undeniable story?
Was Gagarin the first in space? Or was he the first to return alive from orbit? Why are they still talking about the cosmonauts who died before him, and what mysteries of the first flights have only recently been declassified? 108 minutes that shocked the world - what were they worth? Read the answer to these questions and watch in the documentary investigation program “Unsolved Secrets” of the TV channel “Moscow Trust”.
"Unsolved Mysteries": Was Yuri Gagarin the first man in space
First before Gagarin
November 10, 1959. A newspaper with sensational material is published in the USA. It contains a secret recording of conversations between the chief Soviet designer Sergei Korolev and the cosmonaut: “Earth. Pressure is normal.” After a minute of silence: “I can’t hear you, the batteries have failed. Oxygen. Comrades, for God’s sake, what to do? What? I can’t. Do you understand? Do you understand?” Then the astronaut’s speech turned into an indistinct muttering and disappeared completely. According to journalist Allen Henders, the deceased's name was Alexander Belokonev.
“As for Gagarin, there is no smoke without fire. There are some factors that allow rumors to emerge. We all know the canonical date of Gagarin’s flight – April 12, but before his flight there were five satellite ships on which the flight of the Vostok spacecraft was tested,” - said Vadim Lukashevich.
Andrey Simonov has been researching flight tests in our country for many years. He admits experiments in this industry have been going on since 1953.
Yuri Gagarin, 1961
“Nobody wanted to show, imagine: the world’s first man in space, and suddenly death. It would be an even greater shame than if we fell behind. Therefore, we checked every detail so that there was a one hundred percent guarantee of success. On the eve of Gagarin’s flight, the Daily Worker publishes an article of his Moscow correspondent. He reports: “On April 8, Vladimir Ilyushin, a test pilot, the son of the legendary aircraft designer, made an orbital flight on board the Rossiya spacecraft,” comments Andrey. Simonov.
“The Hungarian writer Eastwood Nemory wrote a whole book about how the first cosmonaut was Viktor Ilyushin, who survived, but was in unsightly shape after this unsuccessful landing,” said Yuri Karash.
The Italian agency Continental, shortly after Gagarin's return, published an interview with its scientists, the Undico-Cordillo brothers, who said that since 1957 they had recorded three tragedies in space. In their space listening center they picked up radio signals from the dying, groans and intermittent heart rate. Those recordings still exist today.
"Initially, about 3,000 people were selected. We looked first of all at their medical records, that is, there was an almost absolute requirement physical health. Of these, as a result of a strict selection, 6 people were retained and flew under the Vostok program. In fact, of course, more were selected,” adds Yuri Karash.
The last unofficial flight in the foreign press is listed as February 4, 1961. The Baikonur launch actually took place that day, but who flew? Why didn't you come back? The details remained classified for many years.
Why did cosmonaut Bondarenko die?
The West is convinced that Gagarin only played the role of the first cosmonaut to hide his failures.
“Before Gagarin’s flight, the Americans also worked on their Mercury spacecraft, they had two suborbital launches, they managed to launch. In the first, the rhesus monkey Sam flew, and in the second, the first astronaut, the chimpanzee Ham, flew two months before Gagarin, he rose to a height of 285 km vertically. Maybe that’s why Korolev began to say that there was no point in launching Gagarin suborbitally, he would have been second behind the monkey,” said Vadim Lukashevich.
Today, astronauts acknowledge the death of one of their colleagues. This really happened before Gagarin, and they don’t like to talk about it. Valentin Bondarenko was one of the favorites of the first squad - the youngest and most cheerful. Pilot-cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko was friends with him, but even he admits that he died through his own fault.
"We heated food and tea on ordinary spiral tiles. We wiped his head for sensors with alcohol, and an alcohol swab accidentally fell on the tile - he was getting ready to have dinner. A fire occurred, he had 80% burns, he was taken away in an ambulance, but he I lived only two or three hours,” recalls Viktor Gorbatko.
Yuri Gagarin before the start
Gagarin could not say goodbye to Bondarenko, he is called to the start. There is a battle for space. Before sending Yuri Gagarin into flight, he and his backup, German Titov, are brought to the cosmodrome twice. They work out to the smallest detail everything that can be done on Earth, and for real: in spacesuits, with a report, with negotiations.
“We rehearsed the landing, reported them, they were taken in an elevator to the very top, to the ship. Everything was done except boarding the ship. That is, a large retinue: conscript soldiers standing in a cordon saw that the cosmonauts reported, went to the rocket, rocket flew away,” said Vadim Lukashevich.
This is how rumors are born. They are also fueled by kitchen conversations of dissidents who do not trust the authorities.
“Once I was in Italy, those who proved that Gagarin and Tereshkova were not the first gathered there,” recalls Viktor Gorbatko.
Late 70s Almost twenty years after Gagarin's flight. Cosmonauts can already divulge some details of the first launches. Then Viktor Gorbatko says for the first time that Valentin Bondarenko died not in space, but in a soundproofing chamber during a test. But those radio signals that the Italian brothers heard really existed, and they came from space.
“Radio transmitters were taken on board. They simply recorded the voice and watched how the signal would pass to Earth. There were simple call signs: “Reception!”, “Can you hear me?”, etc. Western pilots, having heard this, might well have thought “that a person is saying this, although in fact it was a tape recorder speaking,” said Andrei Simonov.
Human trials
So was astronaut number zero, and who are the people whose names were named by the largest foreign publications? Why did they believe in them so much? Was Gagarin the first, second or twelfth cosmonaut in the world? The first journalistic investigation appeared in the summer of 1965.
“In American publications - Belokonev, Ledovsky, Shiborin, Gusev, Zavadovsky also flew before Gagarin - a lot of names were given. And it turned out that in 1959 in the magazine Ogonyok there was a detailed publication where testers of spacesuits for pilots, not for cosmonauts, were interviewed And they said that they were testing high-altitude spacesuits. And so the Americans took the names of people from this group and passed them off as astronauts. But questions remained about what really happened to Vladimir Ilyushin? - said Andrei Simonov.
"He was very unique person. In 1959, he set a world record for airplane flight altitude, and a lot has been written about him. And then in 1960 he suddenly disappeared from view. Everything was simple: on June 8, 1960, he got into a car accident on the way from Moscow to Zhukovsky, and for a long time was treated. This year he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and he came on crutches to the presentation. And, apparently, someone saw, and gossip began to spread that he had an unsuccessful flight into space. Although he himself always denied it,” recalls Simonov.
Yuri Gagarin in the Grand Kremlin Palace, 1961
Evgeny Kiryushin is also one of those who was named among the dead cosmonauts. His friends heard about this on a foreign radio station.
"Someone randomly asked me: 'Oh! Are you alive? “I heard you died” - “No, I say, you’re alive!” said Evgeny Kiryushin.
Kiryushin was one of those who did everything to prevent the cosmonauts from dying. For more than 20 years, he was officially listed as either a simple laboratory assistant or a mechanic at the Institute of Space Medicine. Only in the early 1990s did it become possible to speak out loud about his work, and he received the title of Hero of Russia.
"Let's say, explosive decompression, when they checked the suit for an explosion - a fraction of a second passes until complete depressurization, from earth pressure to vacuum - three tenths of a second. God knows what can happen: maybe lightning will tear off, maybe the helmet, and maybe the head ", explained Kiryushin.
There are countless tragedies among the testers; not many can withstand twelve-fold overloads and emergency ejection. Frequent injury- spinal fracture. Until the very end, no one knows how a person will behave in space. It is believed that in a state of weightlessness he will simply go crazy. Gagarin's entire ship control panel is blocked. The code is in a special envelope; a deranged pilot will not be able to decipher it. Until the last minute, the success of the flight is in doubt.
“After the Second World War, the International Commission banned experiments and tests on people. But how can you develop such a new industry as astronautics without conducting experiments with people? This is impossible, therefore, despite all sorts of international acts, we had a group of testers who did this.” , - said Evgeny Kiryushin.
Vadim Lukashevich has written more than one book about astronautics. He believes that the Americans, by spreading rumors about Soviet launch failures, did not want to belittle the achievements of the Soviet country. On the contrary, they were frightened by such information. During the Cold War, they kept a close eye on the Russians. For meetings in the US Congress on the budget, the Pentagon even published a special brochure “Soviet Military Power”.
"The West then accepted very little information about the Soviet Union. To the point that they would not say where we started from. We started from Chuo Tama, but they said that from Baikonur, and this is hundreds of kilometers away. And the Americans recognized the launch site from ballistic calculations, looking at where the rocket took off - the first man in space, but according to the rules. international association, in order to register a record, he had to take off in a ship and land in a ship. And he ejected at an altitude of 80 km and landed by parachute separately, but when we submitted documents to register the record, we hid it. That is, they thought of a lot of things,” said Vadim Lukashevich.
Death of Ivan Ivanovich
Larisa Uspenskaya knows the secrets of space flight like no one else. For many years she has been in charge of the archive of the first cosmonaut corps. Unique, recently closed documents are stored here.
"In 2011, when celebrations and anniversary events took place, a massive declassification of documents was carried out. Documents from the presidential archive, state power at that time, our departments were declassified. Recently, a non-departmental commission declassified a significant block of archives relating to the first space flights,” said Larisa Uspenskaya.
The very first recordings of the archive of Gagarin's flight were made in real time by Korolev and the cosmonaut personally immediately after landing. Gagarin writes how he lost his pencil in weightlessness, how he was thirsty, how the ship deviated from course.
Designer Sergei Korolev and first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, 1961
“The Americans took direction finding of Gagarin’s negotiations with the Earth during the flight and woke up the president that the race was lost,” said Vadim Lukashevich.
Meanwhile, three weeks earlier, a resident of the village of Korsha, in Western Kazakhstan, discovered a man in a spacesuit on a high spruce tree - he landed unsuccessfully with a parachute. The news about the deceased cosmonaut quickly spread around the area. But no one had time to get close to him: the military arrived and the victim disappeared without a trace.
“We can only call the dummy Ivan Ivanovich as cosmonaut number zero. It was absolutely impossible to imagine how human body will react. The overloads that the cosmonauts were subjected to during training and testing on Earth could not compare with what would happen there,” said Larisa Uspenskaya.
Officially, two dummies flew into space, jokingly nicknamed Ivan Ivanovich by the designers. In order not to scare people, they will write on the suit of the second one: “Model”. But it was impossible to stop the rumors.
“It was only fifty years later that the UN established that April 12, 1961 is the day of the first human flight into space,” said Viktor Gorbatko.
Today, for $1 million, anyone can go into space. But has it become safe? What are astronauts still hiding?
“I was worried, of course, but there was no fear. Unfortunately, the previous crew, when we flew to Almaz (the Salyut-5 military station), panicked, they began to take things more and more acutely, which caused a deterioration in their health, and this led to an emergency landing, and for some time they even believed that the station was poisoned.
Only behind the scenes, testers say that the risk in flights has not disappeared. It's still roulette, which is why they sign non-disclosure documents. Their reports are kept as secret files for years.
"As a result of each flight, not counting TASS reports, there is the whole complex documents. For example, Gagarin's logbook has not yet been published. What do we know about flights after Gagarin?” says Vadim Lukashevich.
It would seem that the veil of secrecy of the first flights has been lifted, and except for dogs and mannequins, no one had been in orbit before Gagarin, but until all the documents are declassified, these questions will be investigated again and again.
Major Gagarin completed the task. After him, Viktor Gorbatko managed to travel into space three times, each time the mission was made more difficult.
“Plains, forests, all this can be seen from space. On my second flight, taking the appropriate equipment, we could see a person,” recalls Viktor Gorbatko.
Many people know the song of the Zemlyane group – “Grass near the House”. I first heard it in the cartoon “Well, wait a minute!” Since then, I became interested in space topics, found an encyclopedia at home about space, about the first manned flights into orbit, to the Moon, and began to study. To be honest, I was very fascinated by space, there was a time when I even wanted to become an astronaut. So, now there are a lot of rumors about who was the first cosmonaut, I will try to explain everything in detail.
The very first astronaut in the world
You begin to feel proud that it is ours soviet man, Gagarin Yuri Alekseevich, was the very first to visit frightening space. It was in April, the 12th of 1961. On Vostok 1, in 1961, Gagarin made only one revolution around the Earth. Its duration was 108 minutes, of which 89 were spent in orbit. The speed of the ship at that time was insane - 18 thousand miles per hour. The cosmonaut recorded data about his flight in a journal and wrote everything down in detail. The date of the first flight into space is celebrated all over the world, and the holiday is called “Cosmonautics Day”.
First moon landing
The Moon is a satellite of the Earth and closest to us celestial body. On September 13, 1959, the first robotic vehicle set foot on the moon. 10 years later, the first person stepped onto it. On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Earth. The first person to set foot on our satellite was Neil Armstrong, the captain of the ship. Official date considered July 21, 1969. The astronauts spent 2 hours and 31 minutes on the Moon. Here are the results of the expedition:
- the US flag was planted on the moon;
- many physical experiments were carried out;
- over 21 kg of lunar soil was extracted;
- scientific instruments were placed.
First woman in space
In 1963, on June 16, half past one, the USSR launched Vostok-6 into orbit. The pilot of the ship was Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova. She was the first woman to fly into space. Moreover, Tereshkova is still the woman who went into space alone. To this day, her act cannot be repeated.
Here, in fact, I talked about the first cosmonauts and expeditions. Helpful0 Not very helpful
Comments0
I've been interested in it since childhood mind games, we often “act out” questions on space topics, so I involuntarily became interested. From time immemorial, people have sought to find out what space is and what happens there. Every culture has legends about people who took to the skies and became “astronauts.” There was even one Chinese ruler who installed hundreds of rockets on his throne and tried to conquer space. Obviously he failed. And for the whole world, the first cosmonaut is Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin.
Space Age
After the end of World War II, the former allies entered into cold war and the flight into space of a man of his own nation would become an important argument in disputes on the world stage. The USSR took the first step by launching the first artificial Earth satellite in 1959, and in 1957 by launching Laika, the first dog in space, into Earth orbit.
After this, citizens of the USSR will be the first people in outer space, the first female cosmonaut will join the crew, but the Moon will still remain out of reach.
Life path of the first cosmonaut
- Born in the Gzhatsky district of the Western Region of the RSFSR (in at the moment Smolensk region) March 9, 1934
- I went to school in my native village of Klushino, but due to the outbreak of the Second World War I could not
get an education immediately, and the tragic fate of relatives who were taken away by the occupiers became the reason why Yuri Alekseevich never remembered the war years. - since 1954 became actively involved in aviation, and even when there was a question about
expelled due to problems with landing, he proved that “he cannot live without the sky”, having coped with all the difficulties.
Space is waiting
In 1959, when the selection of candidates for the first cosmonauts began, Yuri Gagarin also submitted his application for participation. It was approved because the Hero had developed leadership qualities, attentiveness, was very polite, but at the same time he was always ready to defend his point of view if he considered it correct. Also, the jet flying experience was wonderful physical training and a base for space flights.
So, having passed all the other contestants (according to rumors, the decisive factor was a memorable smile), on March 23, 1961, Yu.A. Gagarin becomes the crew commander, and already on April 12, 1961 he goes down in history as the first person to be in Earth orbit.
After this, world popularity will come, receptions from the heads of many countries, but, unfortunately, sudden and tragic death at 34 years old.
Helpful0 Not very helpful
Comments0
My childhood was spent in a small town, and I studied in a very ordinary school. But in this educational institution We have always treated Cosmonautics Day with special trepidation. The whole school was preparing a festive concert, and at 9:07 - the time of takeoff of the first cosmonaut - they rang a triple bell. Since then, the first astronaut on Earth has remained my idol.
Who was the first space explorer?
Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin was born in 1934. And at the time of the flight he was 27 years old. Before that, he spent several years preparing for the flight with other pilots. These also included:
- German Titov;
- Alexey Leonov;
- Pavel Belyaev.
An interesting fact is that two reached the final selection - Gagarin and Titov. According to legend, it was Yuri Alekseevich’s beautiful and euphonious name that allowed him to become the first. And the decision about who would be the main astronaut on the planet was made personally by Khrushchev.
The Vostok spacecraft took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 12, 1961 and made one orbit around the planet in 108 minutes, covering 41 thousand kilometers. It is noteworthy that even before media reports, radio amateurs who caught a strange signal from orbit knew about the flight. But they were not destined to find out the name of the hero. During negotiations with the Mission Control Center, it was hidden behind the code word “Cedar”.
Chief space designer
But don't underestimate the one who built the first rocket. During the years of space exploration, it was carefully hidden. But now we can be fully proud of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, the founder of practical astronautics.
Despite many problems, prison, this man persistently walked towards his goal. He was able, at a time when there were no computers yet, and all calculations were done manually, to build a ship that made a complex flight automatically without a single error, which is not always possible even today!
So, Yuri Gagarin became the first cosmonaut on Earth, and Sergei Korolev was the first builder of spaceships. And these are the people of whom every earthling should be proud, since they paved the way to space, paved the way to the future!
Helpful0 Not very helpful
Comments0
Even before entering school, all of us (Soviet children) knew who flew into space first. It was Yuri Gagarin. When the Union collapsed, various “evidence” began to come to light that the first cosmonaut was a completely different person. I don’t know who to believe, but I (and not only me) continue to consider Gagarin the first cosmonaut.
Why was Gagarin the first cosmonaut?
In the Soviet Union, just anyone was “not appointed” to such “responsible jobs.” The first had to be a person of the Russian type (pleasant Slavic appearance), with a Soviet worldview, morally stable, with education and good health. Yu. A. Gagarin fit these criteria very well. And he received the profession of a pilot at our Orenburg Flight School (closed, unfortunately).
Yuri Alekseevich after his first (and only) flight turned into world celebrity, he was welcome everywhere: in any city of the Union, and in other countries. Gagarin was awarded many titles and awards. He was loved and recognized. It is a pity that after his flight into space he lived only 7 years.
Who else was considered the first astronauts?
Events such as the first flight into space cannot but be surrounded by all sorts of secrets and myths. Even in those days, the Americans assumed that Gagarin was not the first cosmonaut and not even the second. Those who supposedly flew into space before him did not return alive, and then it should not have been that way - shame on the country! And the following were named as previous cosmonauts:
- Victor Ilyushin;
- Alexandra Belokoneva;
- Evgenia Kiryushina;
- Valentina Bondarenko and others.
I don’t want to believe in all these speculations, I will always consider Gagarin the first cosmonaut, a hero and one of best representatives our country. In connection with his tragic death, for the first time, general mourning was declared in the country not for the head of state.
Gagarin remains a man of peace. He is revered as the first cosmonaut not only in our country. Streets are still named after him today. settlements. And how many monuments to Gagarin have been erected around the world?
Helpful0 Not very helpful
Comments0
Everything in my childhood good girls When they grew up, they dreamed of working as teachers or doctors, and the boys dreamed of working as police officers or exploring the expanses of space. Naturally, there were much more of the latter. We all knew that the twelfth of April is Cosmonautics Day, and Gagarin is the idol of the Soviet (and not only) people, who conquered the distances of space. We built rockets and imitated our hero in everything. We grew up, perestroika burst into our measured life, and it turned out that everything was not so simple.
Which living creature was the first to fly into space?
Not all flights went smoothly; many of the animals died. Belka and Strelka were the first to return safely to Earth. Only after this was the decision made about human space flight.
First cosmonaut
Three thousand absolutely healthy candidates were selected for the role of the first cosmonaut. Six of them were selected. Preparations began in earnest. The situation was heating up, as the Americans were also not asleep.
And then the hour came, twenty-seven-year-old Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin flew into space. The flight lasted one hundred and eight minutes, of which he spent eighty-nine in orbit. Everything went well. The Soviet people rejoiced. But the West still believes that Gagarin was not the first; there is a version that his flight was staged. They name Alexander Belokonev, Vladimir Ilyushin, Sergei Shiborin, Andrei Mitkov, Alexei Ledovsky. In 2011, for the fiftieth anniversary of the first flight, many archives were declassified. From them it became clear that before Gagarin, only dummies, jokingly named Ivan Ivanovich, flew into space.
There are many different professions in our world. Some of them are exciting, others are complex, and some are romantic. Each of them is useful and necessary for people in its own way.
But there is one profession that combines all of the above. She is exciting and romantic, but at the same time very complex. This profession is an astronaut. The greatest danger is associated with it, but at the same time it is the most tempting and interesting. In order to accurately determine whether you can become a real astronaut, you need to learn as much as possible about this heroic profession.
The profession of an astronaut is the dream of every child.
It is difficult to find an adult who did not dream of going to space as a child. Years have passed, but even now everyone modern child at least once in his life he thinks about becoming an astronaut. Very often you can find school essays on the topic "My future profession- astronaut". In them, children describe their dreams after school. However, despite such popularity among the younger generation, this profession remains one of the rarest in the world due to the highest requirements for each candidate. That is why, if you decide to choose this specialty, you should start getting acquainted with the profession of an astronaut in order to find out what it includes. You also need to know what requirements are imposed on a future space pilot, because you need to start working on yourself already at school.
History of the profession
This profession is quite young. Just in the last century, people could not even dream of getting closer to the stars, but today this task is being successfully solved by real professionals.
In 1961, the first space flight took place with the first cosmonaut on board, Yuri Gagarin. A ship called “Vostok” launched from Baikonur, and it was from that moment that the heroic profession of astronaut, which almost all children dream of, was born. This name is officially assigned to this specialty throughout the world, and only in the United States are representatives of the profession called astronauts.
The first pilots had to solve only one problem - to fly. However, over time, as they improved space systems, the profession of astronaut has come to mean much more. Requirements are increasing, which means that there are a variety of professionals on board the spacecraft: engineers, researchers, doctors and many other people who are united by a common goal - to explore new expanses of the Universe.
Profession astronaut. Description for children
An astronaut is a person who must solve many problems on board a spacecraft. His responsibilities include managing on-board systems, as well as equipment for scientific research. In addition, he must be able to read the readings of all instruments on board and control the operating mode of all equipment and the ship’s engine.
The profession of “cosmonaut” also implies a lot. The description for children must include all the requirements for a future pilot. The main thing among them is to be able to make decisions in unexpected situations. When a ship is sailing in space, anything is possible.
For example, equipment may fail and begin to provide incorrect information. The problem that has arisen cannot always be solved with the help of the Earth. An astronaut must be able to remain calm in any situation and quickly make decisions to eliminate any problem that arises. That is why alarmists have no place on a spaceship.
Main specialties of astronauts
Today, when people go further and further in their research of the Universe, information about the profession of astronaut is becoming more and more extensive. It no longer implies only the ability to control a spacecraft. If on initial stage professional pilots became cosmonauts, then modern stage This profession already includes many other profiles. Currently, there are three main specialties for astronauts.
- you will see what very few people in the world have seen;
- you will take part in scientific experiments and may discover something new that will help the development of all humanity;
- get the opportunity to touch the future;
- you will look like a hero in the eyes of relatives and friends;
- see the stars with your own eyes.
- long and hard work before the first flight;
- a large number of dangers during space travel;
- long separation from family and friends;
- harm caused to health by a long stay in weightlessness.
A test cosmonaut who is the pilot of a spacecraft. His responsibilities include piloting the spacecraft, taking off and landing. He must also coordinate the operation of each system and any action of the crew. Test cosmonauts, as a rule, are military pilots.
Cosmonaut-engineer. This is the person who is responsible for correct work all technical system aircraft, coordinates all preparations before and after the flight, and also takes part in the development and testing of the latest technical systems. Information about the astronaut profession will be incomplete without mentioning the engineer, because he is responsible for carrying out any repair work during space travel.
An astronaut-researcher who must have a medical education. He is responsible for the health of each crew member. In addition, he conducts various experiments and conducts research into the behavior of living organisms in conditions of weightlessness. Long-term space missions are impossible without the participation of researchers.
Thus, this profession involves not only the skills of a pilot. An astronaut must be able to and know a lot. This job description includes many different specialties, each of which performs the most important task in space travel.
What are the requirements for a future cosmonaut?
If you decide that after school you will become an astronaut, you need to know that this profession has the highest requirements. That is why it is the rarest in the world.
So, if the astronaut profession is your firm choice, you must first of all carefully monitor your physical condition. Good, almost perfect health is the main requirement for a future candidate. You shouldn't have any chronic diseases And bad habits. In addition, you must have perfect vision. An astronaut’s health must also be excellent because you won’t find a hospital in space. That is why future pilots must master the basics medical care in various situations.
In addition to physical health, high demands are placed on mental health. The future astronaut must be able to keep a cool head and not give in to panic in any situation. In addition, he should not be subject to various depressions and attacks of melancholy. After all, not everyone can stay so far from home for an indefinite period of time.
In addition to the ideal physical and mental health, another main requirement for a future cosmonaut is fluency in English. It is the language used to communicate, which was created through the efforts of many countries. It is constantly carried by astronauts from different corners world, periodically replacing each other.
In addition, you must have higher education in any technical, medical or military specialty in which you understand best. After all, many scientific experiments must be carried out in space, so singers, artists and representatives of other creative specialties are not needed there.
How to become an astronaut
Star City is located in the Moscow region, where there is a special Cosmonaut Training Center. If you have excellent health, high academic performance and education in the required fields, you can apply here while still studying at the university.
The first stage of selection is based on the submitted questionnaires, from which 350 people are selected. They take tests in subjects such as physics, mathematics and Russian. Then they are awaited by a strict medical commission. After this stage, the number of candidates is reduced to 50. The most recent selection takes place at the Cosmonaut Training Center, where they check whether the person can withstand various difficult tests.
For example, a candidate for astronaut can be locked in a completely closed space, where there is complete silence, and there is not a single person except himself. The period of such imprisonment is 5 days, during which the subject is carefully observed, noting the slightest changes in his behavior. After such difficult tests, only eight lucky people remain, who are enrolled in the corps of future cosmonauts. However, this does not mean that a flight into space will take place soon. Usually they prepare for such an event for 5-10 years, during which they constantly learn to pass a variety of tests.
During takeoff, the crew of the spacecraft experiences severe overloads, and in space itself is in a state of weightlessness. In order to be prepared for all these tests, future astronauts study for so many years before making their first flight. Their classes take place in special classrooms and gyms. They jump with a parachute, spend a lot of time flying and learn to endure any heat and cold, to be adapted to conditions of overload and weightlessness. Therefore, those who decide to choose this heroic profession for themselves need to be prepared to overcome many obstacles and work hard.
Superstitions of astronauts
Despite the fact that astronautics is a field in which the precision of science and latest technologies, there are a lot of superstitions and various rituals associated with it. If you are going to choose this job, you should definitely know what superstitions are associated with the astronaut profession.
Some of them date back to the early days of this work. For example, Sergei Korolev, the first general designer, considered Monday a bad day to start. The tradition of postponing the departure date has reached our times. Also, the launch of the ship is never scheduled for October 24, the day with which two tragedies are associated. In 1960, an experimental rocket exploded on this day, causing numerous casualties, and three years later there was a fire in one of the silos with a combat rocket. After this, the date became forbidden in Russian cosmonautics.
Superstitions associated with the profession of an astronaut are also strongly associated with the name of Yuri Gagarin, the world's first cosmonaut. Before the flight, the crew mandatory visits his office, which is still preserved in the same form in which the legendary pilot left it, and writes his words in the visitors' book. A visit to the memorial in memory of Gagarin and other first cosmonauts who died during the mission is considered obligatory. official duties and laying flowers - red carnations.
Arriving at Baikonur, the future crew checks into the Cosmonaut Hotel, which is a kind of symbol of representatives of this profession. In front of this hotel there is an alley, the trees of which were planted by the caring hands of astronauts who returned from successful expeditions. Future pilots take a walk along it, mentally asking for support from their senior colleagues.
The hotel is showing a screening of the film “White Sun of the Desert”, which every crew member must watch.
Also among the obligatory rituals is that on the day of the flight, all astronauts must cut their hair.
During breakfast before takeoff, they take a sip of champagne and leave their autographs on the doors of the rooms in which they lived. They board a bus decorated with horseshoes to the song “Grass near the House.” After arriving at the take-off site, each crew member repeats what Gagarin once did - irrigates the rear right wheel of the bus. Having climbed on board, the crew waves to those seeing them off, but in response it is strictly forbidden to say goodbye - a bad omen.
Also among the rituals there is one - to display the word “Tanya” on the launch vehicle before launch. It is believed that this name was first written by a loving officer. According to rumors, when they once forgot to write the treasured word, the rocket exploded.
All crew members have a team mascot, which is chosen by the captain of the spacecraft. This is usually a small toy that is worn common name Boris. It is mounted so that it is visible to cameras, and ground services can understand from the toy that the ship has reached a height where gravity no longer acts.
The astronauts are greeted with bread and salt.
After returning to Earth, the team again performs a series of rituals, including visiting the memorial and planting their own tree.
Such a number of superstitions is another answer to the question of what makes the profession of an astronaut interesting.
Pros of the profession
When you make a decision about your future specialty, it is very important to carefully study all its pros and cons. As for the work of an astronaut, of course, it has many advantages:
All this is possible only for astronauts; no other profession allows you to see and learn so much. However, we should not forget that for all the romance of this work, it is associated with many dangers and difficulties.
Cons of the profession
Of course, the astronaut profession for children is one of the most tempting and exciting. However, at the same time, you definitely need to understand what disadvantages it brings with it, and be prepared for them. This:
In addition, you should know that, regardless of the level technical progress, it is impossible to create conditions on Earth that completely replicate those in space. Despite so much training, the astronaut, once in orbit, must be prepared for all the difficulties that may arise.
In conclusion
Once you have learned all the intricacies of the astronaut profession, the requirements for candidates, and the conditions in which you will have to work, your decision will be more balanced. In order for you to realize how well you understand all the difficulties of the job, you can write an essay “Profession - astronaut”, in which you describe all its pros and cons. This will help you see how this work is right for you.
However, if you still decide that you want to connect your future with astronautics, start taking steps towards your dream today. Start actively playing sports, learning English and physics. Read literature on the topic and learn something new every day. Perhaps you will make the most important discoveries that will bring humanity closer to the exploration of new planets, and you will become the specialist whose name will be firmly associated with the profession of astronaut. Everything is in your hands, and it’s up to you what kind of future you will have!
