BROADCASTS.com

Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin left Kazakhstan for space on 12th April, 1961 - the first human to venture beyond the confines of Earth's atmosphere. As the rocket roared into the sky, Gagarin's now-famous exclamation of "Poyekhali!" ("Let's go!") echoed through the cockpit.\nDespite the anticipation surrounding Gagarin's historic flight, the actual experience was relatively brief, lasting a mere 108 minutes. Within that fleeting window, Gagarin's calm demeanour belied the inherent dangers of space travel, as he navigated weightlessness and unfamiliar conditions. Upon reentry, he faced a harrowing ordeal as technical malfunctions threatened his safe return to Earth.\xa0\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explore how Gagarin's status as a national hero propelled him into the spotlight, yet suppressed his subsequent career trajectory; explain why it was not his ability as a pilot, but his diminutive height, which was most prized in the Sputnik programme; and reveal how his diplomatic world tour took him to the United States, yet without setting foot on U.S. soil\u2026\xa0\nFurther Reading:\n\u2022 \u2018Yuri Gagarin: The first human in space\u2019 (New Scientist): https://www.newscientist.com/people/yuri-gagarin/\n\u2022 \u2018"Let's go!" \u2014 Remembering Yuri Gagarin, 60 years on\u2019 (Astronomy Magazine, 2021): https://www.astronomy.com/space-exploration/lets-go-remembering-yuri-gagarins-first-spaceflight-60-years-later/\n\u2022 \u2018Yuri Gagarin Became The First Human In Space, 57 Years Ago Today\u2019 (NBC News, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkVAqNbX0Nw\nWe'll be back on Monday - unless you join \U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS\U0001f334, where we give you ad-free listening AND a full-length Sunday episode every week!\nPlus, weekly bonus content, unlock over 70 bonus bits, and support our independent podcast.\nJoin now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices