Photo: Energia.ru
Back when the space race was at its peak, Russia was kicking some serious American butt. Even if, in the end, the U.S. managed to get ahead by putting humans on the Moon, it was the Russians who first sent a man to space and the first ones to put a space station in orbit. And they achieved these amazing feats in the same month, ten years apart.
Yuri Gagarin was the first human to escape the claws of Earth’s gravity. The until-then test pilot launched onboard a capsule called Vostok 1 and, while spending close to two hours up there, completed one orbit around the Earth. That happened exactly 60 years ago, in April 1961.
A decade later, in April 1971, the Russians launched the world’s first space station. They called the machinery Salyut, and it comprised transfer, working and propulsion compartments, and also a scientific equipment bay.
Salyut 1 marked the first time the docking and internal transfer system on a space station were used. The first humans to board it were Russian cosmonauts Vladimir Shatalov, Aleksei Eliseev, and Nikolai Rukavishnikov, just four days after the station reached orbit. Another three men (Georgi Dobrovolski, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsaev) climbed on board in June 1971.
The orbital laboratory only managed to stay up there for 175 days, being brought down over the Pacific in October of the same year. It was the first in a line of seven other Salyut stations. The final module of the program, called Zvezda, launched in 2000 and is still orbiting Earth as part of the International Space Station.
The anniversary of the Salyut comes at a time when Russia, a long-time partner on the ISS, is said to consider getting out of this international program, and build its own station in orbit starting the middle of the decade.
In the longer term, together with China, Russia is also researching the best ways to build a station on or around the Moon.
A decade later, in April 1971, the Russians launched the world’s first space station. They called the machinery Salyut, and it comprised transfer, working and propulsion compartments, and also a scientific equipment bay.
Salyut 1 marked the first time the docking and internal transfer system on a space station were used. The first humans to board it were Russian cosmonauts Vladimir Shatalov, Aleksei Eliseev, and Nikolai Rukavishnikov, just four days after the station reached orbit. Another three men (Georgi Dobrovolski, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsaev) climbed on board in June 1971.
The orbital laboratory only managed to stay up there for 175 days, being brought down over the Pacific in October of the same year. It was the first in a line of seven other Salyut stations. The final module of the program, called Zvezda, launched in 2000 and is still orbiting Earth as part of the International Space Station.
The anniversary of the Salyut comes at a time when Russia, a long-time partner on the ISS, is said to consider getting out of this international program, and build its own station in orbit starting the middle of the decade.
In the longer term, together with China, Russia is also researching the best ways to build a station on or around the Moon.
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