Sixty years ago today, on 12 April 1961, a certain Yuri Gagarin made it into space.
Humanity as well.
Space-X has achieved 27 day turnaround and believes they can reach single digits by the end of this year.By this flight, Gagarin rose to worldwide stardom, to that extent, that the Soviets were reluctant to put him into space again, afraid to loose him. Particularly after Komarov’s deadly accident on Soyuz 1 in 1967, and since Gagarin had expressed concerns about the safety of that flight. Gagarin then even got grounded for piloting aircraft, and he had to struggle to get his flying status back. Finally, he was granted to fly again, but he had to pass a training program. During one such training flights, on March 27th 1968, he died in a crash.
To the day twenty years later, on April 12th 1981 (hence, already 40 years ago!), NASA launched its first space shuttle, Columbia, with John Young and Bob Crippen as crew. Despite serious concerns about thermal tiles having detached during launch, risking to compromise the shuttle's integrity during return, Columbia landed safely, two days later.
It was not the case twenty two years later, when damage to the heat shield made Columbia desintegrate during descent, killing all crew members (February 1st 2003).
Meanwhile, the space shuttle fleet has been retired already ten years ago.
Looking back; one may wonder whether the space shuttle was such a good idea? The initial concept, of a reusable (and hence cheap) spacecraft, to be serviced in two weeks for a next flight, turned out to be much more complicated. The start of the program was delayed by technical problems, and its development got immense cost overruns. Instead of a quick and cheap turn around - say : refueling, changing oil, putting the tires hard again and emptying the garbage cans - it took at least two months to prepare a shuttle for a next launch. Two fatal accidents indicated that the technology was not that safe after all.
On may wonder, how far US manned space travel would have stood now, if NASA had continued with reliable and established Saturn V technology instead?
After 45 years, the cause of Gagarin's death was finally made public, thanks to one of his fellow cosmonauts:By this flight, Gagarin rose to worldwide stardom, to that extent, that the Soviets were reluctant to put him into space again, afraid to loose him. Particularly after Komarov’s deadly accident on Soyuz 1 in 1967, and since Gagarin had expressed concerns about the safety of that flight. Gagarin then even got grounded for piloting aircraft, and he had to struggle to get his flying status back. Finally, he was granted to fly again, but he had to pass a training program. During one such training flights, on March 27th 1968, he died in a crash.
There was indeed the tragic end of Salyut's first crew, two months later. But after the Apollo project, the Soviets became the undisputable rulers of the orbital realm during the seventies. While NASA was struggling with glueing expensive thermal tiles on their cost exceeding space shuttles, the Soviets would launch larger and larger space stations, and multiple crews to man them, breaking duration record after duration record.Boy did the Soviet orbital luck run out with that success...
True, but it all came after the most unlucky reign of Mishin. The very first Salyut's crew didn't even get inside due to docking troubles, the first which did... well, I hope to tell the sad story come June. Then there was the roubles-devouring N1 lunar rocket -- which ended up destroying Mishin's career for good.There was indeed the tragic end of Salyut's first crew, two months later. But after the Apollo project, the Soviets became the undisputable rulers of the orbital realm during the seventies. While NASA was struggling with glueing expensive thermal tiles on their cost exceeding space shuttles, the Soviets would launch larger and larger space stations, and multiple crews to man them, breaking duration record after duration record.
Reading about it on Wikipedia, the crew are the only people to have died above the Kármán line.Fifty years ago today, on 19 April 1971, the Soviet Union launched the first space station, Salyut 1.
Boy did the Soviet orbital luck run out with that success...
Right, and long may they remain so.Reading about it on Wikipedia, the crew are the only people to have died above the Kármán line.
That was a triumph and of course a curse!On April 17th 1964 the Ford Mustang was unveiled at the New York Worlds Fair.
I still have a '66 Mustang (in pieces) in the garage. Barb had nothing to do with its state of disrepair!On April 17th 1964 the Ford Mustang was unveiled at the New York Worlds Fair.
The Mustang might still be alive if it were a Karmann Ghia!!!That was a triumph and of course a curse!
The karmann ghia was truly a girls car of the time.