Gagarin's Flight

Gagarin's Flight was the first human space mission, launched by the Soviet Union on April 12, 1961. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth once, completing a 108-minute journey. His spacecraft, Vostok 1, reached a maximum altitude of about 200 miles and traveled at a speed of approximately 17,500 miles per hour. The mission demonstrated that humans could survive and operate in space, paving the way for future space exploration. Gagarin's successful flight marked a historic milestone in human spaceflight and showcased the USSR's technological capabilities during the Cold War era.