Yuri Gagarin before the Spaceflight

Description

Yuri Gagarin before the spaceflight, photo; Licensed article; Original: 5740×4315; Photographer: Unknown; subject to licensing; Rights: a9 Bleek/zb Media. Significance of the flight:
On April 12, 1961, Gagarin launched with the Vostok 1 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and orbited the Earth in 108 minutes.
He reported from space the famous phrase 221f3e3545303b38!22 (Let’s go!) – a symbol for the beginning of the human space age.
After reentry, Gagarin parachuted out of the capsule since the Vostok was not designed for a gentle landing.
The photo documents a milestone in the history of spaceflight, symbolizing the then Soviet Union’s lead in the space race and laying the groundwork for future manned missions.