Yuri Gagarin; first Cosmonaut?

[Combwork]

Sounds like a stupid question, but was he the first? Back in the late 1970's there was a BBC radio programme about space exploration. In it, someone claimed that Yuri Gagarin was the first successful cosmonaut, but that there had been previous attempts, (including one with more than one cosmonaut on board) that failed. It was said that the one with more than one on board launched ok, but could not break out of orbit to come home, and that there were recorded transmissions from the orbiter to base. Easy to say, difficult to disprove. Has anyone else heard anything about this?

 

[Toasted Almond]

They had that dog first. Laika the dogonaut. Or astronine. No kidding.

They probably tore through a bunch of guys before Gagarin. I wonder if they had to load him in at gunpoint.

 

[Combwork]

They had that dog first. Laika the dogonaut. Or astronine. No kidding.

They probably tore through a bunch of guys before Gagarin. I wonder if they had to load him in at gunpoint.[/QUOTE]

That's an interesting thought! The Apollo programme was part of a a genuine race; the Soviets did their best to get there ahead of the Americans. From what I've read, in order to claim victory they wanted to get just one man to the moon first before the three man Apollo crew, and they almost succeeded. You have to remember that in the Soviet era, the Russian approach was best expressed as "whatever you build, we build bigger and better" They built three massive rockets, bigger than Apollo. They tried to test launch the first two but both failed. Confident they had ironed out the problems they assembled the third one, 'persuaded' a cosmonaut to climb aboard and tried to launch it. The explosion wiped out the cosmodrome including the control bunker and effectively ended the race.

This super-size approach went way back to Stalin's days. In the 1930s and 1940s the Americans built some beautiful long range heavy haulage steam locomotives, so the Russians built 'bigger and better' http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/locoloco.htm You'll find it in the Hard To Classify section under Russian Reforms. While you're there, look at the Pennsylvania RR Turbine (USA) under Turbine Locomotives. 1000 ton load hauled at speeds "in excess of 100 miles per hour". Absolutely beautiful. Just imagine being a small boy at the side of the railroad when this comes thundering by.

Now the Chinese and I think also the Japanese have expressed interest in a moon landing. If they go for it, what's the betting that given enough money, you'll be able to go on vacation to the moon within the next 20 years..........

 

[Twenty20Man]

geez a vacation on the moon..cant wait to get that moon dust between my toes...

 

[gladiator335]

All the rumors about cosmonauts killed before Gagarin went into the space are nothing but BS.
He was the first (after several dogs) and it's a fact. Now about Soviet attempt to go to the moon. That monster rocket was called H-1. Something went wrong and the whole program was put aside. But there were no attempts to launch it with somebody on board.
Speaking from experience: my uncle served on Russian launch pad (Baykonur) for 27 years and worked on everything from first sputnik.

 

[whsh93a]

Gagarin was perhaps the third cosmonaut to successfully orbit the earth (video). At least one other made it back safely but was so disfigured that he could not be used for the intended propoganda. (here is a longer, more detailed video showing the run-up to Gagarin's flight). I don't remember where I picked up that information.

Gagarin was an amazingly brave test pilot and went up willingly. The flight almost killed him when his craft spun out of control just before reentry. If I remember correctly, he eventually was killed testing new airplane designs.

I think there was a recent NOVA that researched all of this out.

When I was a kid I knew every rocket design and every astronaut/cosmonaut by name. In fact, I still remember my Mom's birthday because it is on the same day we launched out first successful satellite in 1958 (Jan 31). I still own a 33rpm vinyl issue with the entire Glenn orbital flight on it.

DH

Sounds like a stupid question, but was he the first? Back in the late 1970's there was a BBC radio programme about space exploration. In it, someone claimed that Yuri Gagarin was the first successful cosmonaut, but that there had been previous attempts, (including one with more than one cosmonaut on board) that failed. It was said that the one with more than one on board launched ok, but could not break out of orbit to come home, and that there were recorded transmissions from the orbiter to base. Easy to say, difficult to disprove. Has anyone else heard anything about this?

 

[Sandy G]

Yeah, remember the plastic records in the National Geographic ? An' the one on the space race ? I can still hear Frank Borman intoning "Radio Moscow, April 1961", & the Radio Moscow announcer saying what sounded like "Govoreet Mockba...Yuri Alexesis Gagarina, Sputnyika, Vostok !" Hell, I musta wore out 3 of those, listening to the space race over & over...

 

[gladiator335]

Who was the first

Gagarin was perhaps the third cosmonaut to successfully orbit the earth (video). At least one other made it back safely but was so disfigured that he could not be used for the intended propoganda. (here is a longer, more detailed video showing the run-up to Gagarin's flight). I don't remember where I picked up that information.

DH

Guys, remember countless "alien" contacts, rumors that Armstrong didn't land on a Moon at all and it all was a clever trick? Having Internet it's very easy to make a sensation (or just throw any crazy idea). Whatever you've heard or read...There were no human in space before Gagarin. There were accidents, landing and starts went horribly wrong, several cosmonauts died (Volkov, Patsaev, Komafov...). Even two dogs (somewhere around 1958) crashed at landing. But the very first human in space was lucky enough to make it back in one piece. And it was Gagarin.
Again: my uncle (his was a Soviet army officer) served at the launch pad. He retired in 1981 and had tons of pictures signed by all cosmonauts and Sergey Korolev ("father" of the Soviet space program) himself. He witnessed them all. As a matter of fact he was there when they just opened Baykonur. So there are rumors, and there are facts...

 

[whsh93a]

Please do not misinterpret my posting.

Yes - I tend towards the belief that Gargarin was the first. I hold him in the highest regard.

I wish I could remember where I heard about the "other" two - I just remember thinking that here was a credible source and was surprised by the possibility of a valid reference.

I do know that there were at least a few test flights with dummys on board before Gargarin went up. Maybe that's where the stories came from and also the American tendancy to discount the fact that other people can be just as smart or creative as they are.

DH

Guys, remember countless "alien" contacts, rumors that Armstrong didn't land on a Moon at all and it all was a clever trick? Having Internet it's very easy to make a sensation (or just throw any crazy idea). Whatever you've heard or read...There were no human in space before Gagarin. There were accidents, landing and starts went horribly wrong, several cosmonauts died (Volkov, Patsaev, Komafov...). Even two dogs (somewhere around 1958) crashed at landing. But the very first human in space was lucky enough to make it back in one piece. And it was Gagarin.
Again: my uncle (his was a Soviet army officer) served at the launch pad. He retired in 1981 and had tons of pictures signed by all cosmonauts and Sergey Korolev ("father" of the Soviet space program) himself. He witnessed them all. As a matter of fact he was there when they just opened Baykonur. So there are rumors, and there are facts...

 

[Splatter Pak]

Having read Richard Hoagland's "Dark Mission" I understand that NASA's mission is [at least] twofold: space exploration and information control. I don't suppose that the USSR's corresponding agency had a mission that differed very much. Separating fact from fiction, rumor, speculation and out-and-out lies is far beyond the limits of this thread.

However, I am reminded of the words of Robert Oppenheimer, when he was asked if the first atomic bomb test was really the first. He said, "Yes, in modern times."

Splat