Yuri Gagarin - Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
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N 50° 12.089 E 012° 54.799
33U E 351085 N 5563117
Yuri Gagarin - The First Man in Space
Waymark Code: WMH0HP
Location: Karlovarský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 05/02/2013
Views: 46
On board Vostok 1, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history on April 12, 1961 when he became both the first person in the world to enter space and the first person to orbit the Earth.
Yuri Gagarin was just one of 3,000 applicants to be the first Soviet cosmonaut. Out of this large pool of applicants, just 20 were chosen in 1960 to be the Soviet Union's first cosmonauts; Gagarin was one of the 20.
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin boarded Vostok 1 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Although he was fully trained for the mission, no one knew if it was going to be a success or a failure. Gagarin was to be the very first human being in space, truly going where no man had gone before.
From launch (at 9:07 a.m.) to Vostok 1 touching down on the ground (10:55 a.m.) was 108 minutes, a number often used to describe this mission. Gagarin landed safely with his parachute about ten minutes after Vostok 1.
Nearly as soon as Gagarin's feet touched the ground back on Earth, he became an international hero. His accomplishment was known around the globe. He had accomplished what no other human being had ever done before.
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The statue of Yuri Gagarin is located nearby Karlovy Vary Airport.
Description of the statue
The bronze statue, above life-size, on a sandstone base approximately 0.8 meter high, a figure in space suit, a right hand raised in salute