Published on: 2026-04-12
Source: Official website of the State –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin proved that nothing is impossible and took the first step into the unknown.
Space, orbits, rockets — today these concepts seem familiar and everyday to us. We follow the discovery of new planets, discuss the routes of future expeditions, meet with astronauts, and examine models of real space objects.
But 65 years ago, a flight into space was a step into the void.
Nobody knew:
- Will the psychic endure,
- whether the ship will catch fire during descent,
- whether it will return at all.
Even Yuri Gagarin himself, who was only 27 years old, did not know this. And before the flight, he wrote a farewell letter to his wife Valentina. Just in case he did not return. She received it only 7 years later — already after her husband’s death in 1968.
There were real concerns that a person in weightlessness could lose their mind. Therefore, the ship’s controls were locked. To take control into one’s own hands, it was necessary to open the envelope and enter the code: 125.
Yuri Gagarin was fully aware of all the risks. And he flew anyway. And he gifted humanity 108 minutes that opened the way to space.
Although the landing was not without surprises: at an altitude of about 7 km, he ejected and descended separately from the ship, and the valve for supplying air in the sealed spacesuit did not open immediately. But at 10:55 on April 12, 1961, the cosmonaut returned.
And at this moment, humanity became different. Not only because we conquered space. But because we dared to go there for the first time.
Today we remember not only astronauts. We remember thousands of people who made the impossible possible: scientists, engineers, designers—all those who step by step built the road to space.
Sometimes one step into the unknown changes everything.
Congratulations on Cosmonautics Day to every person on our planet Earth!
Subscribe to the Telegram channel “Nash GUU”Publication date: 12.04.2026
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