12th April - The Day of Astronautics

[encode]

Happy Astronautics Day!

The man from the USSR was the first man who got to the space!



Just think, the space is unbounded, it has infinite size.The planet Earth must be placed somewhere in the Galaxy, this Galaxy must be placed somewhere either, etc. etc. etc. - i.e. there is no bounds. Think about it, this is crazy!!!

[Christian]

I like to think about this stuff the most when I had a beer or two.

[Stephan Busch]

I remember those Sojus vessels

[LovePimple]

Yuri Gagarin

[Stephan Busch]

Yes, Yuri

And the first Space Shuttle started on 12th of April in 1981

[LovePimple]

Vostok 1 - Yuri Gagarin

Launch date: April 12, 1961.
Flight duration: 1 hour, 48 minutes.
Landing site: Kazakhstan, near Engels.

Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space. He was not allowed to operate the controls because the effects of weightlessness had only been tested on dogs so far and scientists were concerned about how space would have affected his to work. The mission was instead controlled by ground crews, and an override key was provided in case of emergency.

Gagarin's mission lasted one hour, 48 minutes, and ended with a landing in Kazakhstan, approximately 26 kilometers southwest of Engels. Yuri completed one Earth orbit, and did so 25 days prior to the first U.S. suborbital manned flight by Alan Sheperd.

[encode]

Yuri Gagarin

Actually, Yuri was not the first. Some astronauts was shipped before, but they died... Of course, such facts was hidden from the people.

Yuri had luck and became first!

[nimdamsk]

As far i know modern austronomy supposes that Universe is finite, and it expands constantly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe). The only thing nobody knows - wherein does it expand?

[LovePimple]

wherein does it expand?

A question that has been asked by many!

[LovePimple]

Actually, Yuri was not the first. Some astronauts was shipped before, but they died... Of course, such facts was hidden from the people.

Have you any idea who really was the first?

[Black_Fox1]

Have you any idea who really was the first?

I did a small research on this topic some months ago, Ill look if I can find something again.

[Stephan Busch]

I only know that before Louis Armstrong the Americans sent a rocket into space containing a dog named Leica.

[Black_Fox1]

First people in space - first and second ... Gagarin was at least second (not sure about credibility of that anonymous man)...

[encode]

Have you any idea who really was the first?

I cant recall the name, but recently, some of the top secret documents was exposed. I watch the Russian TV documentary about that - at least one man was before Gagarin, but something went wrong with capsule during landing (something with hermetic sealing) and the cosmonaut died.

I only know that before Louis Armstrong the Americans sent a rocket into space containing a dog named Leica.

I though that it was Russians with Russian dog. Actually, I dont know exactly who first sent (USA / USSR) the animals to the space. But Leica (or Laika from Russian "Layat" ("bark") - i.e. Layka - A dog that barks) - is the Russian dog.

[LovePimple]

The dog Laika, the first living creature to orbit the Earth, did not live nearly as long as Soviet officials led the world to believe.
The animal, launched on a one-way trip on board Sputnik 2 in November 1957, was said to have died painlessly in orbit about a week after blast-off.

Now, it has been revealed she died from overheating and panic just a few hours after the mission started.

The new evidence was presented at the recent World Space Congress in Houston, Texas, US, by Dimitri Malashenkov of the Institute for Biological Problems in Moscow.

Noted space historian Sven Grahn told BBC News Online that the new information was surprising and significant as it ended more than 40 years of speculation about Laika's fate.

Space pioneer

Laika's mission on board Sputnik 2 stunned the world. Sputnik 1, the world's first satellite, had been launched less than one month before.


Laika had been a stray

It was a metal sphere weighing about 18 kg (40 lbs) and was far heavier than anything the United States was contemplating launching.

An astonished world witnessed the launch of Sputnik 2 weighing 113 kg (250 lbs) and carrying the first living thing to go into orbit - the dog Laika.

The animal had been a stray wandering the streets of Moscow when she was captured and prepared for a space mission.

Shortly after launch the Soviets said that Laika was not destined to return alive and would die in space. The statement caused outrage to many observers.

Racing pulse

Dr Malashenkov has now revealed several new details about Laika's mission, such as her food being in jelly form and that she was chained to prevent her turning around.

There was a carbon dioxide absorbing device in the cabin to prevent the accumulation of this toxic gas, as well as an oxygen generator.

A fan was automatically activated to keep the dog cool when the capsule's temperature exceeded 15 deg Celsius.

According to Dr Malashenkov, a great deal of work had to be done to adapt a group of dogs to the conditions in the tight cabin of Sputnik 2. They were kept in gradually smaller cages for periods up to 15-20 days.

Three dogs were trained for the Sputnik 2 flight: Albina, Laika and Mushka. Albina was the first "backup", having flown twice on a high-altitude rocket. Mushka was used to test instrumentation and life support.

Death in space

Medical sensors placed on Laika indicated that during launch her pulse rate went up by a factor of three above its resting level.

At the start of weightlessness, her pulse rate decreased. It took three times longer than after a centrifuge ride on the ground to return Laika's heartbeat to pre-launch values, an indication of the stress she was suffering.

Dr Malashenkov also revealed how Laika died. Telemetry from the Sputnik 2 capsule showed that the temperature and humidity increased after the start of the mission.

After five to seven hours into the flight, no lifesigns were being received from Laika. By the fourth orbit it was apparent that Laika had died from overheating and stress.

Previously, it has been thought that Laika survived at least four days in space and perhaps even a week when Sputnik's transmitters failed.

Despite surviving for just a few hours, Laika's place in space history is assured and the information she provided proved that a living organism could tolerate a long time in weightlessness and paved the way for humans in space.

Laika's "coffin" circled the Earth 2,570 times and burned up in the Earth's atmosphere on 4 April 1958.

[LovePimple]

I cant recall the name, but recently, some of the top secret documents was exposed. I watch the Russian TV documentary about that - at least one man was before Gagarin, but something went wrong with capsule during landing (something with hermetic sealing) and the cosmonaut died.

I would like to know more about this!

[Black_Fox1]

at least one man was before Gagarin, but something went wrong with capsule during landing (something with hermetic sealing) and the cosmonaut died.

It was Serghei Ilyushin, taking off five days before Gagarin - something went wrong and he lost consciouness... he was then remotely tracked back to atmosphere as soon as possible, when again something went wrong and the capslue crashed in China. He had to stay a year in hospital before going back to Russia.

[LovePimple]

Laika, the FIRST living creature (from Earth) in Space. R.I.P

[LovePimple]

It was Serghei Ilyushin, taking off five days before Gagarin - something went wrong and he lost consciouness... he was then remotely tracked back to atmosphere as soon as possible, when again something went wrong and the capslue crashed in China. He had to stay a year in hospital before going back to Russia.

So he didnt die after all?

[encode]

By the way, USSR made rockets which can bring a larger on-board stuff.

Unlike US rockets which at the beginning can bring only a light cargo.

This fact was meaningful with first nuclear weapon - Soviet rockets was able to launch with nuclear explosives on-board, unlike US rockets which needed to be heavily modernized.

[encode]

It was Serghei Ilyushin, taking off five days before Gagarin - something went wrong and he lost consciouness... he was then remotely tracked back to atmosphere as soon as possible, when again something went wrong and the capslue crashed in China. He had to stay a year in hospital before going back to Russia.

No, Im talking about man who really was in space. But died during landing...

[LovePimple]

It was Serghei Ilyushin, taking off five days before Gagarin - something went wrong and he lost consciouness... he was then remotely tracked back to atmosphere as soon as possible, when again something went wrong and the capslue crashed in China. He had to stay a year in hospital before going back to Russia.

Just found this...

http://www.lostcosmonauts.com/ilyushin.htm

[encode]

Of course, USSR made a few rocket launches with humans - but not all cosmonauts stay alive... And someone complained about dog...

[Black_Fox1]

Just found this... http://www.lostcosmonauts.com/ilyushin.htm

No, Im talking about man who really was in space. But died during landing...

See my post from 12 Apr 2007 22:13

[LovePimple]

More of interest here...

http://www.lostcosmonauts.com/unknown.htm

[LovePimple]

See my post from 12 Apr 2007 22:13

Its the same site!

[LovePimple]

And someone complained about dog...

Some people consider animals to be more important!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_rights

http://www.shac.net/

http://www.animalliberationfront.com/

http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?Stor yID=20060913-071828-7795r

[LovePimple]

By the way, USSR made rockets which can bring a larger on-board stuff.

Unlike US rockets which at the beginning can bring only a light cargo.

So, the US rockets were very poor?

[encode]

So, the US rockets were very poor?

Soviet rockets from the beginning was heavy - need many fuel, etc. just was heavyweights...
US had light rockets.
Probably they was constructed for different tasks, who knows...

[encode]

Partially, Soviet nuclear weapon was stolen from USA, and Soviet rockets was based on German rockets Fau-2.



It's similar to compression world - I steal many ideas from many people - Malcolm Taylor, Matt Mahoney.