# Canonical recap data for Gagarin's First Spaceflight (1961)
# Source: https://recap.at/1961/gagarin-spaceflight
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: gagarin-spaceflight
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1961/gagarin-spaceflight"
title: Gagarin's First Spaceflight
aliases:
- Vostok 1
- April 12, 1961
- First Human Spaceflight
- Gagarin's Flight
subtitle: Yuri Gagarin became the first human in orbit aboard Vostok 1, establishing Soviet supremacy in the Space Race and proving human spaceflight was viable.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1961-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1961
decade: 1960
country:
name: Soviet Union
slug: soviet-union
summaryShort: "Gagarin: First in Space a.k.a.. First man In Space is a 2013 Russian docudrama biopic about the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, and the 1961 mission of Vostok 1. It was released by Central Partnership theatrically in Russia on June 6, 2013, and in the United Kingdom on DVD on June 23, 2014 by Entertainment One. The f"
summaryLong: "Gagarin: First in Space a.k.a.. First man In Space is a 2013 Russian docudrama biopic about the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, and the 1961 mission of Vostok 1. It was released by Central Partnership theatrically in Russia on June 6, 2013, and in the United Kingdom on DVD on June 23, 2014 by Entertainment One. The film's running time of 108 minutes approximates the time it took Gagarin to go around the Earth before returning. It stars Yaroslav Zhalnin as Soviet fighter pilot and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The film received mixed reviews, with some critics praising the film's acting, direction and storytelling with others touching on the film's \"cheap-looking\" visual effects. The film received criticism for its state funding and ignoring the aftermath of the flight."
lede: On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space, orbiting Earth aboard Vostok 1 for 108 minutes. The flight vindicated the Soviet space program's technical achievements and handed the USSR a decisive propaganda victory during the Cold War, reshaping the geopolitical competition over space exploration.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/Gagarin_FIRST_IN_SPACE.jpg"
heroImageCredit: "Wikipedia · \"Gagarin: First in Space\""
importance: 94
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Flight Duration
  value: 108 minutes
- label: Orbits Completed
  value: "1"
- label: Maximum Altitude
  value: 327 kilometers
- label: Cosmonaut Age
  value: 27 years old
- label: Launch Site
  value: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakh SSR
- label: Vostok 1 Mass
  value: 4,725 kilograms
- label: Countries with Prior Spaceflight Success
  value: "0"
timeline:
- date: 1957-10-04
  title: Sputnik 1 Launch
  description: Soviet Union launches first artificial satellite, signaling space capability and accelerating Cold War competition.
- date: 1960-11-03
  title: Vostok 1 Unmanned Test
  description: Soviet test flight of Vostok capsule with dog payload (Chernushka and 40 mice) confirms recovery systems functional.
- date: 1961-03-25
  title: Gagarin Selected for First Flight
  description: Chief Designer Sergei Korolev and military selection panel choose 27-year-old Gagarin from 20 cosmonaut candidates.
- date: 1961-04-12
  title: Vostok 1 Launch and Orbital Flight
  description: "Gagarin launches at 06:07 UTC from Baikonur, completes one orbit, reaches peak altitude of 327 km. Returns safely via parachute descent."
- date: 1961-04-14
  title: Gagarin Receives Hero of the Soviet Union
  description: Soviet government awards highest honor; Gagarin becomes international celebrity and Cold War propaganda asset.
- date: 1961-05-05
  title: First American Spaceflight
  description: Alan Shepard launches on Mercury-Redstone 3, suborbital flight reaches 116 km altitude—23 days after Gagarin.
- date: 1961-05-25
  title: Kennedy Moon Speech to Congress
  description: President Kennedy announces Moon landing goal by decade's end, formalizing American response to Soviet space dominance.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagarin%3A_First_in_Space"
  title: "Gagarin: First in Space"
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Gagarin's mission proved human spaceflight was feasible and catalyzed a technological arms race between superpowers. The flight fundamentally shifted Cold War prestige competition from terrestrial to orbital, setting the stage for the subsequent Moon race and establishing space as a domain of geopolitical consequence.
categories:
- tech-launch
- launch
taxonomy:
domain: technological
eventTypes:
- space_mission
canonicalClasses:
- discovery
- creation
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: Yuri Gagarin becomes first human in space aboard Vostok 1, April 12, 1961. Cold War turning point.
wikidataQid: Q13403118
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260311044651/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagarin:_First_in_Space"
  capturedAt: 2026-03-11
  label: "Gagarin: First in Space"
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagarin%3A_First_in_Space"
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: Soviet Cosmonaut Orbits Earth in Space Capsule
  publishedAt: 1961-04-12
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival record
  excerpt: Yuri Gagarin, a 27-year-old Soviet Air Force major, became the first human in space today, completing an orbit of Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft in a flight lasting 108 minutes. The achievement marks a historic breakthrough in the Soviet space program and intensifies Cold War competition.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: TASS (Soviet News Agency)
  publisherSlug: tass
  headline: Pervyy chelovek v kosmose - Yuriy Gagarin / First Man in Space - Yuri Gagarin
  publishedAt: 1961-04-12
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival record
  excerpt: "RU: 'Istoricheskiy polet - chelovek pokorili kosmos' / EN: 'A historic flight - man has conquered space.' The Soviet Union announced the triumphant mission of Vostok 1 with Cosmonaut Gagarin aboard, hailing it as a victory for socialism and Soviet science."
  significance: 90
  type: radio
  region: Soviet Union
- publisher: The Times (London)
  publisherSlug: the-times-london
  headline: Russian Circles Earth in Capsule; First Spaceman Reported Safe
  publishedAt: 1961-04-12
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival record
  excerpt: A Soviet pilot completed an orbit of the Earth aboard a spacecraft this morning, British observers confirmed. The 27-year-old cosmonaut's safe return signals a major advance in space exploration and raises questions about Western technological standing.
  significance: 89
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Pravda
  publisherSlug: pravda
  headline: Gagarin - geroi nashey Rodiny / Gagarin - Hero of Our Motherland
  publishedAt: 1961-04-13
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival record
  excerpt: "RU: 'Sovetskiy kosmonavt Yuriy Gagarin sovershil ispytaniye kosmicheskogo korablya Vostok' / EN: 'Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin completed the test flight of the Vostok spacecraft.' Pravda's celebration of Gagarin emphasized Soviet scientific superiority and the courage of the pilot."
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: Soviet Union
- publisher: Time Magazine
  publisherSlug: time-magazine
  headline: Man in Space
  publishedAt: 1961-04-21
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival record
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Soviet Major Yuri Gagarin's 108-minute orbital flight aboard Vostok 1 has shaken Western confidence in American technological prowess. At 27, Gagarin became an instant international celebrity and symbol of Soviet achievement.
  significance: 87
  type: magazine
  region: United States
