Posted on 04/13/2020 10:18:56 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Based on the reputation of Soviet workmanship Gagarin was indeed a very brave man to strap himself into that flying bomb.
Have you seen the stuff we were launching? the Apollo capsule that returned the Apollo 11 astronauts was in the the Smithsonian when I visited there in the mid 70’s. Out were people could touch it. The skin on that thing is about as thick as modern aluminum beer cans. It flexed under your finger tips. It was not as stiff as the steel beer cans of the day were. They were all heroes.
‘I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of 2 million parts — all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract.’ Attributed to John Glenn in 1962.
Few people know that they beat us into space. And few know that....to this day...they haul our astronauts to the Space Station since we do not have the means.
It's been a good partnership. Don't screw it up with politics.
Vladimir Komarov wasn't so lucky.
See post #39
Sputnik already had lit a fire under our butts.
And that's why the US has had to rely on them for manned launches for about the last decade. And why Boeing keeps stacking failure after failure.
The US space program has been a disaster since they deported the Nazi.
Gagarin is a legend worthy of our respect.
4 Soviets to 13 Americans dead. Not counting the 3 on the launchpad (Apollo 11) or the Israeli on STS 107.
“The State Department never forgave Russia for abandoning Communism.”
That, and the fact that the elitist kids in the State Department today don’t even know anything about the early space race (or did they care when in college). They probably know John Glenn only as Senator from Ohio.
They also don’t know:
1. that John Glenn was the first US astronaut to orbit the earth;
and
2. that he and John McCain profited handsomely as members of the slimy Keating Five and the only two that survived the money laundering scandal.
“Gagarin is a legend worthy of our respect.”
If only Leonid Brezhnev had thought that about him too he might not have had that unfortunate equipment malfunction in his Mig.
From all accounts Gagarin was a good man. He was a Christian and later in life he revealed that he was used as a stooge in the service of the communist regime. Not by choice.
You mean Apollo 1, not 11.
“I would love to see the US taking the lead in bringing humans to LEO, to the moon, and beyond.”
Amen, Brother! I was in the 8th grade when we landed on the moon. Glued to the TV for the whole time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJA6QW1kFjo
I guess I would've named him, but it took thousands of people to make that happen.
“Sputnik already had lit a fire under our butts.”
Yes, and a lot of folks noticed!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c_85YV8Ans
And some didn’t, and need the reminder!
Alan Shepard’s youth home was down the street from me in Derry NH. In THAT town, trust me...when I was then in the mid 80’s everyone knew he was the first American in Space! I saw a few people make the John Glen mistake in front of the mayor.
As an aside, the Mayor’s office had a great display of memorabilia from both of his flights. It was a wonderful little (and I mean little) museum. I met with the mayor a couple of times and spent more time paying attention to the photos and patches than I did the mayor (all he did was complain about my business.)
You are correct. Thinking 1 and typing 11.
Thanks for noticing.
I guess you don’t understand. Do some research. The Russian flights were significant and their men worthy of note.
I recall the Sputnik days, and yes Yuri was the first in space. For that simple fact that parallels so many of history’s other firsts, his name should be worth mentioning regardless of what Russia was back then or what their space program is today.
This flight is just as memorable as someone taking their shoe and pounding it on a table at the United Nations just six months prior.
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