Space exploration began from the most ancient times, when man was just learning to count by the stars, highlighting the constellations. And only just four hundred years ago, after the invention of the telescope, astronomy began to develop rapidly, bringing new discoveries to science.
The 17th century became a transitional century for astronomy, then the scientific method began to be applied in space exploration, thanks to which the Milky Way, other star clusters and nebulae were discovered. And with the creation of a spectroscope that is able to decompose the light emitted by a celestial object through a prism, scientists have learned to measure data from celestial bodies, such as temperature, chemical composition, mass and other measurements.
Starting from the end of the 19th century, astronomy entered a phase of numerous discoveries and achievements, the main breakthrough of science in the 20th century was the launch of the first satellite into space, the first manned flight into space, spacewalk, landing on the moon and space missions to the planets of the solar system. The inventions of super-powerful quantum computers in the 19th century also promise many new studies, both of already known planets and stars, and the discovery of new distant corners of the universe.
Humanity has recently entered the threshold of the third millennium. What does the future hold for us? Many problems will surely arise that require binding solutions. According to forecasts of scientists, in 2050 the number of inhabitants of the Earth will reach 11 billion people. Moreover, 94% of the increase will be in developing countries and only 6% in industrialized ones. In addition, scientists have learned to slow down the aging process, which significantly increases life expectancy.
This leads to a new problem - food shortages. At the moment, about half a billion people are starving. For this reason, about 50 million die each year. To feed 11 billion, it will be necessary to increase food production 10 times. In addition, energy will be needed to ensure the life of all these people. And this leads to an increase in the production of fuel and raw materials. Will the planet withstand such a load?
Well, don't forget about environmental pollution. With the increase in production rates, not only resources are depleted, but also the planet's climate is changing. Cars, power plants, factories emit so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that the emergence of the greenhouse effect is not far off. As the temperature rises on Earth, the water level in the oceans will also rise. All this will adversely affect the living conditions of people. It can even lead to disaster.
These problems will help to solve Think for yourself. It will be possible to move factories there, explore Mars, the Moon, extract resources and energy. And everything will be the same as in the films and on the pages of sci-fi works.
Energy from space
Now 90% of all earth's energy is obtained by burning fuel in home stoves, car engines and power plant boilers. Energy consumption doubles every 20 years. To what extent will natural resources be sufficient to meet our needs?
For example, the same oil? Scientists predict that it will end in as many years as the history of space exploration has, that is, in 50 years. Coal will last for 100 years, and gas for about 40. By the way, nuclear energy is also an exhaustible source.
Theoretically, the problem of finding alternative energy was solved back in the 30s of the last century, when the thermonuclear fusion reaction was invented. Unfortunately, she is still unmanageable. But even if you learn to control it and receive energy in unlimited quantities, this will lead to overheating of the planet and irreversible climate change. Is there a way out of this situation?
3D industry
Of course, this is space exploration. It is necessary to move from a "two-dimensional" industry to a "three-dimensional" one. That is, all energy-intensive production needs to be transferred from the surface of the Earth into space. But at the moment it is economically unprofitable to do so. The cost of such energy will be 200 times higher than the electricity produced by heat on Earth. Plus huge cash infusions will require the construction of large orbital stations. In general, we need to wait until humanity goes through the next stages of space exploration, when the technology will be improved and the cost of building materials will decrease.
24 hour sun
Throughout the history of the planet, people have used sunlight. However, the need for it is not only in the daytime. At night, it is needed much longer: to illuminate construction sites, streets, fields during agricultural work (sowing, harvesting), etc. And in the Far North, the Sun does not appear at all in the sky for six months. Is it possible to increase How realistic is the creation of an artificial sun? Today's successes in space exploration make this task quite feasible. It is enough just to place an appropriate device for the Earth in the orbit of the planet. In this case, its intensity can be changed.
Who invented the reflector?
We can say that the history of space exploration in Germany began with the idea of creating extraterrestrial reflectors, proposed by the German engineer Hermann Obert in 1929. Its further development can be traced to the work of the scientist Eric Kraft from the USA. The Americans are now as close as ever to the implementation of this project.
Structurally, a reflector is a frame on which a polymer reflective sun radiation is stretched. The direction of the luminous flux will be carried out either by commands from the Earth, or automatically, according to a predetermined program.
Implementation of the project
The United States is making significant progress in space exploration and is very close to the implementation of this project. Now American experts are exploring the possibility of placing the corresponding satellites in orbit. They will be located directly over North America. 16 installed mirrors-reflectors will extend the daylight hours by 2 hours. Two reflectors are planned to be directed to Alaska, which will increase daylight hours there by as much as 3 hours. If we use reflector satellites to extend the day in megalopolises, this will provide them with high-quality and shadow-free illumination of streets, highways, construction sites, which is undoubtedly beneficial from an economic point of view.
Reflectors in Russia
For example, if you illuminate from space five cities equal in size to Moscow, then thanks to energy savings, the costs will pay off in about 4-5 years. Moreover, the system of reflector satellites can switch to another group of cities without any additional costs. And how the air will be cleaned if the energy will come not from fuming power plants, but from outer space! The only obstacle to the implementation of this project in our country is the lack of funding. Therefore, space exploration by Russia is not going as fast as it would have liked.
Extraterrestrial factories
More than 300 years have passed since the discovery of the vacuum by E. Torricelli. This played a huge role in the development of technology. Indeed, without understanding the physics of vacuum, it would be impossible to create either electronics or internal combustion engines. But all of this applies to industry on Earth. It is difficult to imagine what opportunities a vacuum will give in such a matter as space exploration. Why not make the galaxy serve humans by building factories there? They will be in a completely different environment, in vacuum, low temperatures, powerful sources of solar radiation and weightlessness.
Now it is difficult to realize all the advantages of these factors, but we can say with confidence that fantastic prospects are opening up and the topic "Space exploration by building extraterrestrial factories" is becoming more relevant than ever. If you concentrate the sun's rays with a parabolic mirror, you can weld parts made of titanium alloys, stainless steel, etc. When metals are melted under terrestrial conditions, impurities enter them. And technology increasingly needs ultra-pure materials. How do I get them? It is possible to "suspend" the metal in a magnetic field. If its mass is small, then this field will hold it. In this case, the metal can be melted by passing a high-frequency current through it.
In zero gravity, materials of any mass and size can be melted. Neither molds nor casting crucibles are needed. There is also no need for subsequent grinding and polishing. And the materials will be melted either in conventional or in solar ovens. Under vacuum conditions, it is possible to carry out "cold welding": well-brushed and fitted metal surfaces form very strong joints.
Under terrestrial conditions, it will not be possible to make large semiconductor crystals without defects, which reduce the quality of microcircuits and devices made from them. Thanks to zero gravity and vacuum, it will be possible to obtain crystals with the desired properties.
Attempts to implement ideas
The first steps in the implementation of these ideas were made in the 80s, when space exploration in the USSR was in full swing. In 1985, engineers launched a satellite into orbit. Two weeks later, he delivered material samples to Earth. Such launches have become an annual tradition.
In the same year, NPO Salyut developed the Technology project. It was planned to build a 20 tonnes plant and a 100 ton plant. The device was equipped with ballistic capsules, which were supposed to deliver manufactured products to Earth. The project was never implemented. You will ask why? It's a common problem in space exploration - lack of funding. It is still relevant in our time.
Space settlements
At the beginning of the 20th century, KE Tsiolkovsky's fantastic story "Out of the Earth" was published. In it, he described the first galactic settlements. At the moment, when there are already certain achievements in space exploration, you can take on the implementation of this fantastic project.
In 1974, Princeton University physics professor Gerard O'Neal developed and published a project for the colonization of the galaxy. He proposed placing space settlements at the libration point (a place where the gravitational forces of the Sun, Moon and Earth cancel each other out). one place.
O Neil believes that most of the people will move into space and have unlimited food and energy resources in 2074. The Earth will become a huge park, free of industry, where you can spend your holidays.
O "Nile's colony model
The professor suggests starting peaceful space exploration by building a model with a radius of 100 meters. Such a structure can accommodate about 10 thousand people. The main task of this settlement is to build the next model, which should be 10 times larger. The diameter of the next colony increases to 6-7 kilometers, and the length increases to 20.
In the scientific community around the O "Nile project, controversy is still ongoing. In the colonies they offer, the population density is about the same as in earthly cities. And this is quite a lot! Especially considering that on weekends there is no way out of town. In cramped parks, few people will want to rest. It can hardly be compared with the living conditions on Earth. But how in these closed spaces will things be with psychological compatibility and the urge to change places? Will people want to live there? Will space settlements become places of distribution? global disasters and conflicts? All these questions are still open.
Conclusion
An innumerable amount of material and energy resources is laid in the depths of the solar system. Therefore, human space exploration should now become a priority task. Indeed, if successful, the resources received will serve for the benefit of people.
So far, astronautics is taking its first steps in this direction. We can say that this is a child, but over time he will become an adult. The main problem in space exploration is not a lack of ideas, but a lack of funds. We need huge ones. But if we compare them with the cost of armaments, then the amount is not that big. For example, a 50% reduction in global military spending will allow three expeditions to be sent to Mars in the next few years.
In our time, humanity should be imbued with the idea of the unity of the world and reconsider priorities in development. And space will be a symbol of cooperation. It is better to build factories on Mars and the Moon, thus benefiting all people, than to multiply the already inflated global nuclear potential. There are people who argue that space exploration can wait. Usually scientists answer them like this: "Of course it can, because the universe will exist forever, but we, unfortunately, will not."
Space exploration - exploration and use of outer space by man for industrial, practical, scientific, educational purposes.
Humanity has turned its gaze to space since ancient times. At first, people simply watched the sky, noticing patterns in the movement of stars and celestial bodies. Then the first simplest optical instruments appeared - in 1608 (400 years ago). They made it possible to see celestial bodies invisible to the naked eye. So, for example, Galileo Galilei discovered 4 satellites of Jupiter. Over time, scientists invented more powerful telescopes that made it possible to see more and more.
Theoretical studies also did not stand still - they helped astronomers understand how and why the planets they observed move, what they consist of, how they came into existence. Further scientific progress gave people super-complicated means of space exploration - radio telescopes, spacecraft, electronic computers that perform complex calculations. The opening of the era of space began with the flight of the Soviet "Sputnik" in 1957 and the first manned flight in 1961 opened up new, incredible opportunities in space exploration.
Shortly thereafter, long-term space stations were created, on which people can stay for a year or more. They carry out scientific and industrial activities. Ultrapure metals, medicines, and composite materials are produced in space. The space industry is working on Earth to create spacecraft. It consists of factories that manufacture launch vehicles, spacesuits, spacecraft and equipment for them. Research institutes are engaged in the development of these means of space exploration. Cosmonauts are trained in special training centers. Space exploration is widely represented in culture: books, films, music, computer games. It makes people dream of conquering outer space, flying to distant stars, meeting aliens.
To date, scientific probes have visited all the planets of the solar system, and some have gone beyond its limits. These are Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, launched by the United States in 1977. And in 1969, people first set foot on the lunar surface. Artificial satellites are widely used as navigation and communication satellites. Space telescope satellites have allowed a glimpse into the far reaches of the universe. Space exploration is developing rapidly, and will soon bring new, previously unseen discoveries and opportunities.
Option 2
For many years people have tried to understand the secrets of heavenly bodies and planets, the structure of the universe and outer space in the sky above. But only in the last century, since the beginning of the development of the space industry, mankind was able to make still small, timid steps in the process of exploring space.
Research and attempts to arrange life processes in space using manned and automatic spacecraft, the use of space, planets and satellites for industrial and research purposes - these are the main directions of space exploration.
In 1957, the USSR became the first country in the world to launch an artificial satellite into space, orbiting the globe, and marked the beginning of an entire era of space exploration.
It is difficult to list all the milestones in the advancement of this difficult and dangerous business. We must not forget all the heroically perished cosmonauts who gave their lives in this unknown and noble cause. But their life feat was not in vain, taking into account all the mistakes of the tragic flights, the Soviet space science branch began to develop very rapidly.
The first manned flight into space on April 12, 1961 on the Vostok-1 spacecraft was performed by the Soviet pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. This modest and kind man, with a charming smile, has forever become the idol of millions of people around the world.
Already in 1962, two spacecraft entered space orbit simultaneously, making a unique approach of 6 kilometers.
The world's first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963 showed a heroic example of the possibility of flights not only for men.
In 1964, the Voskhod spacecraft with three cosmonauts on board was first put into Earth orbit.
And already in 1965, a risky and dangerous manned spacewalk was made. The hero of this event was cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, who forever left a mark in the history of the development of cosmonautics and became a national hero.
Artificial satellites, automatic research stations on planetary surfaces, space probes for studying the soil and soil composition of celestial bodies, rovers, lunar and orbital stations, these are just some modern methods and devices for studying intergalactic space.
But even more discoveries and miracles await humanity ahead, and each person, if desired, can make an important contribution to the exploration of space.
4, 5, 10 grade. Physics
Moscow is the capital of Russia, the capital of my Motherland! Moscow is already 850 years old. During this long-term period, Moscow has changed and transformed many times. Moscow was built and expanded
There are enough sports in the world, and they are all different from each other. The first requires tremendous strength, the second - endurance, and the third - quickness and good reaction. Gymnastics is also part of the sport.
The history of space exploration began in the 19th century, long before the first aircraft could overcome the gravity of the Earth. The undisputed leader in this process at all times was Russia, which today continues to implement large-scale scientific projects in interstellar space. They are of great interest all over the world, as well as the history of space exploration, especially since 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the man's first spacewalk.
Background
Ironically, the first project of a rocking combustion chamber capable of controlling thrust vector for space travel was developed in prison. Its author was N.I. At the same time, it is known that before his death, the inventor turned to the commission of inquiry with a request to transfer the drawings and the manuscript. However, this was not done, and they became known only after the publication of the project in 1918.
More serious work, supported by an appropriate mathematical apparatus, was proposed by K. Tsiolkovsky, who proposed to equip ships suitable for interplanetary flights with jet engines. These ideas were further developed in the work of other scientists such as Hermann Obert and Robert Goddard. Moreover, if the first of them was a theorist, the second managed in 1926 to launch the first rocket using gasoline and liquid oxygen.
Confrontation between the USSR and the USA in the struggle for primacy in the conquest of space
Work on the creation of combat missiles was begun in Germany during the Second World War. Their leadership was entrusted to Werner von Braun, who managed to achieve significant success. In particular, already in 1944, the V-2 rocket was launched, which became the first artificial object to reach space.
In the last days of the war, all Nazi developments in the field of rocketry fell into the hands of the American military and formed the basis of the US space program. Such a favorable “start”, however, did not allow them to win in the space confrontation with the USSR, which first launched the first artificial Earth satellite, and then sent living beings into orbit, thereby proving the hypothetical possibility of manned space flights.
Gagarin. First in space: how it was
In April 1961, one of the most famous events in the history of mankind took place, which is incomparable in its significance. Indeed, on this day, the first man-piloted spacecraft was launched. The flight went well, and 108 minutes after the launch, the descent vehicle with the astronaut on board landed near the town of Engels. Thus, the first man in space spent only 1 hour and 48 minutes. Of course, against the background of modern flights, which can last up to a year or even more, it seems like an easy walk. However, at the time of its accomplishment, it was regarded as a feat, since no one could know how weightlessness affects human mental activity, whether such a flight is dangerous for health, and whether the astronaut will be able to return to Earth in general.
Brief biography of Y. A. Gagarin
As already mentioned, the first person in space who was able to overcome gravity was a citizen of the Soviet Union. He was born in the small village of Klushino into a peasant family. In 1955, the young man entered the aviation school and after graduation he served for two years as a pilot in a fighter regiment. When recruitment was announced for the first cosmonaut corps, which was just being formed, he wrote a report on enrollment in its ranks and took part in the acceptance tests. On April 8, 1961, at a closed meeting of the state commission managing the project for the launch of the Vostok spacecraft, it was decided that the flight would be made by Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, who was ideally suited both in terms of physical parameters and preparation, and had a corresponding origin. Interestingly, almost immediately after landing, he was awarded a medal "For the development of virgin lands", apparently bearing in mind that outer space at that time was also, in a sense, virgin lands.
Gagarin: triumph
People of the older generation still remember what jubilation swept the country when the successful completion of the flight of the world's first manned spacecraft was announced. Within a few hours after that, everyone had the name and call sign of Yuri Gagarin - "Cedar" on everyone's lips, and fame fell on the cosmonaut on a scale in which it did not reach any person either before him or after. Indeed, even during the Cold War, he was accepted as a triumphant in the camp "hostile" to the USSR.
The first man in outer space
As already mentioned, 2015 is a jubilee year. The fact is that exactly half a century ago, a significant event took place, and the world learned that the first man had been in outer space. It was A. A. Leonov, who on March 18, 1965, went beyond the airlock of the Voskhod-2 spacecraft and spent almost 24 minutes hovering in zero gravity. This short "expedition into the unknown" did not go smoothly and nearly cost the cosmonaut's life, as his spacesuit was inflated and he could not return to the ship for a long time. Trouble lay in wait for the crew and on the "way back". Nevertheless, everything worked out, and the first man in space, who took a walk in interplanetary space, returned safely to Earth.
Unknown heroes
Recently, the audience was presented with the feature film "Gagarin. The First in Space". After watching it, many became interested in the history of the development of astronautics in our country and abroad. But she conceals many mysteries. In particular, only in the last two decades, the inhabitants of our country were able to get acquainted with information regarding disasters and victims, at the cost of which successes in space exploration were achieved. So, in October 1960, an unmanned rocket exploded at Baikonur, as a result of which 74 people died and died from wounds, and in 1971, the depressurization of the descent vehicle's cabin cost the lives of three Soviet cosmonauts. There were many casualties during the implementation of the United States' space program, therefore, when talking about the heroes, one should also remember those who fearlessly took up the task, of course, realizing what risk he was putting his life at.
Cosmonautics today
At the moment, we can proudly say that our country won the championship in the struggle for space. Of course, the role of those who fought for its development in the other hemisphere of our planet cannot be belittled, and no one will dispute the fact that the first man in space to set foot on the moon - Neil Amstrong - was an American. However, at the moment, the only country capable of delivering people into space is Russia. And although the International Space Station is considered a joint project in which 16 states participate, it cannot continue to exist without our participation.
What the future of astronautics will be in 100-200 years, today no one can say. And this is not surprising, because in the same way, in the now distant 1915, hardly anyone could have believed that in a century the vastness of space would be plowed by hundreds of aircraft for various purposes, and a huge “house” would revolve around the Earth in near-earth orbit, where people from different countries will constantly live and work.
The history of space exploration: the first steps, great astronauts, the launch of the first artificial satellite. Astronautics today and tomorrow.
- Tours for May around the world
- Last Minute Tours around the world
The history of space exploration is the most striking example of the triumph of the human mind over recalcitrant matter in the shortest possible time. Only a little more than fifty years have passed since the man-made object first overcame gravity and developed sufficient speed to enter Earth's orbit - nothing by the standards of history! Most of the planet's population vividly remembers the times when the flight to the moon was considered something from the realm of fantasy, and those who dreamed of piercing the heavenly heights were recognized, at best, as insane for society, harmless. Today, spacecraft not only “plow the vastness”, successfully maneuvering in conditions of minimal gravity, but also deliver cargo, astronauts and space tourists to Earth's orbit. Moreover, the duration of a flight into space can now be as long as you like: the watch of Russian cosmonauts on the ISS, for example, lasts 6-7 months. And over the past half century, man managed to walk on the Moon and photograph its dark side, made Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury happy with artificial satellites, “recognized by sight” distant nebulae with the help of the Hubble telescope and is seriously thinking about the colonization of Mars. And although it has not yet been possible to make contact with aliens and angels (at least officially), let's not despair - after all, everything is just beginning!
Space dreams and pen tests
For the first time, progressive mankind believed in the reality of flight to distant worlds at the end of the 19th century. It was then that it became clear that if the aircraft was given the speed necessary to overcome gravity and kept for a sufficient time, it would be able to go beyond the Earth's atmosphere and gain a foothold in orbit, like the Moon, revolving around the Earth. The problem was in the engines. Existing at that time copies either extremely powerfully, but briefly "spat" with energy emissions, or worked on the principle of "gasp, shake and go to itself little by little." The first was more suitable for bombs, the second for carts. In addition, it was impossible to regulate the thrust vector and thereby influence the trajectory of the vehicle's motion: the vertical launch inevitably led to its rounding, and as a result the body fell to the ground without reaching space; horizontal, with such a release of energy, threatened to destroy all living things around (as if the current ballistic missile was launched flat). Finally, at the beginning of the 20th century, researchers drew attention to the rocket engine, the principle of operation of which was known to mankind since the turn of our era: the fuel burns in the rocket body, simultaneously lightening its mass, and the released energy moves the rocket forward. The first rocket capable of propelling an object beyond gravity was designed by Tsiolkovsky in 1903.
The first artificial satellite
Time passed, and although two world wars greatly slowed down the process of creating rockets for peaceful use, space progress did not stand still. The key moment of the post-war period was the adoption of the so-called package layout of rockets, which is still used in astronautics today. Its essence is the simultaneous use of several rockets, placed symmetrically with respect to the center of mass of the body, which needs to be injected into the Earth's orbit. Thus, a powerful, stable and uniform thrust is provided, sufficient for the object to move at a constant speed of 7.9 km / s, which is necessary to overcome the earth's gravity. And on October 4, 1957, a new, or rather the first, era in space exploration began - the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, just like everything ingenious called simply "Sputnik-1", with the help of the R-7 rocket, designed under the leadership of Sergei Korolev. The silhouette of the R-7, the progenitor of all subsequent space rockets, is still recognizable in the ultra-modern Soyuz launch vehicle, which successfully sends into orbit "trucks" and "cars" with astronauts and tourists on board - the same four "legs" of the packet scheme and red nozzles. The first satellite was microscopic, just over half a meter in diameter and weighed only 83 kg. It completed a full orbit around the Earth in 96 minutes. The "stellar life" of the iron pioneer of astronautics lasted three months, but during this period he traveled a fantastic path of 60 million km!
Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo
The first living things in orbit
The success of the first launch inspired the designers, and the prospect of sending a living creature into space and returning it safe and sound no longer seemed unrealizable. Just a month after the launch of Sputnik-1, the first animal, the dog Laika, went into orbit on board the second artificial Earth satellite. Her goal was honorable, but sad - to test the survival of living beings in space flight. Moreover, the return of the dog was not planned ... The launch and launch of the satellite into orbit were successful, but after four orbits around the Earth, due to an error in the calculations, the temperature inside the apparatus rose excessively, and Laika died. The satellite itself rotated in space for another 5 months, and then lost speed and burned up in the dense layers of the atmosphere. The first shaggy cosmonauts who, upon their return, greeted their “senders” with joyful barks, were the textbook Belka and Strelka, who set off to conquer the heavens on the fifth satellite in August 1960. Their flight lasted just over a day, and during this time the dogs managed to fly around the planet 17 times. All this time, they were watched from the monitors in the Flight Control Center - by the way, it was because of the contrast that white dogs were chosen - after all, the image was then black and white. As a result of the launch, the spacecraft itself was also finalized and finally approved - in just 8 months, the first person will go into space in a similar device.
In addition to dogs, both before and after 1961, monkeys (macaques, squirrel monkeys and chimpanzees), cats, turtles, as well as every little thing - flies, beetles, etc., visited space.
In the same period, the USSR launched the first artificial satellite of the Sun, the Luna-2 station managed to softly land on the planet's surface, and the first photographs of the side of the Moon invisible from Earth were obtained.
April 12, 1961, divided the history of space exploration into two periods - "when man dreamed of the stars" and "since man conquered space."
Man in space
April 12, 1961, divided the history of space exploration into two periods - "when man dreamed of the stars" and "since man conquered space." At 09:07 Moscow time, the Vostok-1 spacecraft with the world's first cosmonaut on board, Yuri Gagarin, was launched from the launch pad No. 1 of the Baikonur cosmodrome. Having made one orbit around the Earth and having covered a distance of 41 thousand km, 90 minutes after the start, Gagarin landed near Saratov, becoming for many years the most famous, revered and beloved person on the planet. His "let's go!" and "everything is very clear - black space - blue earth" were included in the list of the most famous phrases of mankind, his open smile, ease and cordiality melted the hearts of people around the world. The first manned flight into space was controlled from Earth, Gagarin himself was more of a passenger, albeit perfectly prepared. It should be noted that the flight conditions were far from those that are now offered to space tourists: Gagarin experienced eight to tenfold overloads, there was a period when the ship literally tumbled, and behind the windows the skin was burning and the metal melted. During the flight, several failures occurred in various systems of the spacecraft, but fortunately, the astronaut was not injured.
Following the flight of Gagarin, significant milestones in the history of space exploration rained down one after another: the world's first group space flight was completed, then the first woman-cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1963) went into space, the flight of the first multi-seat spacecraft took place, Alexei Leonov became the first a man who made a spacewalk (1965) - and all these grandiose events are entirely the merit of Russian cosmonautics. Finally, on July 21, 1969, the first manned landing on the moon took place: the American Neil Armstrong took the same "big, small step".
Astronautics - today, tomorrow and always
Today, space travel is taken for granted. Hundreds of satellites and thousands of other necessary and useless objects fly above us, seconds before sunrise from the bedroom window you can see the planes of the International Space Station's solar panels flashing in the rays still invisible from the earth, space tourists with enviable regularity go to "surf the open spaces" (thereby embodying into reality the mocking phrase "if you really want, you can fly into space") and the era of commercial suborbital flights is about to begin with almost two departures daily. The exploration of space by controlled vehicles is completely amazing: there are pictures of stars that exploded long ago, and HD images of distant galaxies, and strong evidence of the possibility of life on other planets. Billionaire corporations are already agreeing on plans to build space hotels in Earth's orbit, and projects for the colonization of neighboring planets do not seem to be an excerpt from the novels of Asimov or Clark for a long time. One thing is clear: once overcoming the gravity of the earth, humanity will again and again strive upward, to the endless worlds of stars, galaxies and universes. I would only like to wish that the beauty of the night sky and the myriad of twinkling stars, still alluring, mysterious and beautiful, as in the first days of creation, never leave us.