Published on: 2026-08-06
Source: Official website of the State –
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On August 6, 1961, the whole world learned the name of German Titov – he became the second person in space and the first to spend more than a day there. This flight not only cemented the success of the Soviet space program – it became an important step for humanity toward long-term stays beyond Earth.
Who is German Titov
German Titov was born on September 11, 1935, in Altai. He graduated from the Stalingrad Military Aviation School and served as a fighter pilot in the Leningrad Military District.
In 1960, he joined the first squad of Soviet cosmonauts and was Yuri Gagarin’s backup during the launch on April 12, 1961. According to contemporaries, Titov was one of the most technically skilled and prepared pilots. On the day of selecting the first cosmonaut, it was decided to reserve such a specialist for a more complex task.
On the day of his space flight, Gherman Titov was only 25 years old: he remains the youngest cosmonaut in the history of orbital flights.
Where the legends of space started
The main launch site of Soviet, and later Russian, cosmonautics is the Baikonur Cosmodrome: it was here that the first satellite was launched, Yuri Gagarin and German Titov were sent into flight, and later entire orbital stations and cargo spacecraft.
Flight history
Titov’s mission was planned for a full day – it was the first long-duration space flight in human history.
“Vostok-2” was launched on August 6, 1961, at 9 a.m. During 25 hours and 19 minutes of flight, the spacecraft completed 17 orbits around the Earth, covering a distance of over 700,000 kilometers.
German Stepanovich was the first in the world to eat and sleep in orbit, took the first photographs and filmed the Earth through the porthole, and even took control of the ship himself, proving that a pilot can navigate in space without automation.
The descent module landed on August 7 at 7:18 a.m. in the Saratov region, near the city of Krasny Kut.
How the body changes in weightlessness
Gherman Titov personally experienced the “space adaptation syndrome” and meticulously documented all the changes and sensations occurring in orbit. Thanks to his observations, scientists learned that:
- In weightlessness, the vestibular system malfunctions: disorientation, nausea, and impaired coordination are possible;
- Without the usual gravity, muscles and bones begin to “lose shape”: muscle mass decreases, bone density diminishes.
- On orbit, sunrise and sunset alternate every 90 minutes, so the usual daily rhythms are disrupted, and the body has to adapt to a new schedule.
The astronaut’s observations became the basis for developing preventive measures: special exercises, diet plans, work and rest schedules, as well as special suits that help maintain blood circulation and muscle tone.
How MGIMO and space are connected today
Today, the Center for Space Research, Unmanned and Radio-Electronic Technologies operates at the State University of Management, one of whose areas of work is integrating SUM into the “Personnel for Space” program, and our young scientists became the absolute winners of the All-Russian Space Dictation in 2025.
Subscribe to the Telegram channel “Our GUU” Publication date: 6.08.2026
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