Russian astronauts Oleg Nowitzki and Piotr Dubrov and American cosmonaut Mark Vande She took off from the Russian launch site in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz MS-18 they are flying in is named Gagarin and bears a photo of him. It said today that the launch went as planned and that the crew was in good condition.
In the lead up to the launch, Gagarin space flight was mentioned several times at the press conference with Nowitzki, Dubrov, and Vande He. When asked how they would celebrate their anniversary, Doybrov said, “Let’s celebrate together” and “work hard.” The space capsule will be docked to the International Space Station around 1:00 pm Brussels time, where the three will stay for six months.
Gagarin’s space flight was on April 12, 1961. It also departed from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, and flew around the Earth in 108 minutes. The launch site where Gagarin left at that time is currently being renovated. The Soviet Union and the United States participated, among other things, in a space race during the Cold War. Today countries work together. Gagarin’s historic and only flight is celebrated every year in Russia on Astronaut Day.
