The Space Race: A Captivating Guide to the Cold War Competition Between the United States and Soviet Union to Reach the Moon by History Captivating

Author:History, Captivating [History, Captivating]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-09-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8 – The First Men in Space

After spending several years testing in space and learning as much as possible with scientific instruments and short trips using animals, both sides were getting closer to achieve one of the greatest accomplishments in human history—the successful launch of a person into—and back from—space. Both superpowers were eager to be the first, though they went about it in different ways.

The USSR would just barely beat the US to this milestone, with both hitting this goal in 1961.

Yuri Gagarin and a Question of What Counted as a Success

As its technology continued to advance, the Soviet Union started to review potential candidates for the first person in space. The Soviets had narrowed down their options to twenty potential candidates, whom they called cosmonauts. Each of the candidates was required to complete a series of tests to determine their ability to withstand the potential risks. The tests were once described by Cathleen Lewis: “They were performing enormous feats of physical training ... They wanted to test the limits of their pilots.” The Soviets had learned from the other missions with animals that it was nearly impossible to guess what would happen once the launch began.

Two men stood out from the other candidates. Twenty-seven-year-old Yuri Gagarin was chosen to be the first Soviet (and, they hoped, person) in space, and Gherman Titov would be his backup. Reportedly, Gagarin had more humble origins, and this was desirable considering what they hoped he would become if the mission was successful. Titov had been raised in a family that was considered middle-class, while Gagarin’s parents had been closer to blue-collar workers. This meant he had to overcome more to gain his place, which better represented what the Soviets wanted to portray—a person overcoming much longer odds to become a national hero. It would help inspire people across the Soviet Union to strive for more by working harder.

His humble background could have been a reason, but many people say it was more likely Gagarin’s performance during the tests that ultimately led to his being chosen. Unaware that the US had been tracking its own countdown to launch someone into space, the Soviets pushed forward with its own plans in secret. Despite not knowing the American plans, the Soviets were aware that the US was making advances, and they were worried that they would lose the edge they had established through the first round of milestones. To ensure they were the first, the Soviets continued to push for a launch as soon as possible.

Following the rigorous selection process and testing, the USSR began to prepare for the launch, setting up Vostok 1 on the launchpad. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin prepared himself at the top of a thirty-meter-high booster on the launch site in Kazakhstan (the modern-day Baikonur Cosmodrome). The cosmonaut was five-foot-two-inches tall, which made him a much better choice for the small quarters. Still, it couldn’t have been terribly comfortable, as the rocket began to shake before departing from Earth. At 9:07 a.

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