1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff, Lauren vog obam here. There have been 3 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: a lot of groundbreaking firsts in human history, but only 4 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 1: one person can claim to be the first in outer space. 5 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: That's Uri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut who breached Art's atmosphere 6 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: and zipped into orbit in nineteen sixty one. He stood 7 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: just five ft two inches tall. That's one point six 8 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: meters and slightly shorter than I am, which is impressive, 9 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: but in the lore of space exploration, Gagarin casts an 10 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: enormously long shadow. In both life and death, he left 11 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 1: a legacy brimming with both outstanding achievements and unanswered questions. 12 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: Born in nineteen thirty four near Moscow, Gagarin was the 13 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: son of a carpenter and a milkmaid. When he was 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: still a child, Nazi forces invaded the USSR and occupied 15 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: the town. Everyone suffered. Two of his siblings wound up 16 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: in labor camp, but survived the war. Later, Gagarin attended 17 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: various technical schools, but it was a flying club that 18 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 1: really grabbed his attention. Once he had his first taste 19 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: of flight, he embraced his new passion and used his 20 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: weekends learning to fly. He joined the Soviet Air Force 21 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: and became a full fledged fighter pilot. In the meantime, 22 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: he married Valentino Gryacheva, with whom he had two daughters. 23 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: In nineteen sixty, Soviet authorities chose twenty men to take 24 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: part in the country's fledgling space program. The commission specified 25 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: that the men be between twenty five and thirty years 26 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,839 Speaker 1: old and less than five feet seven inches tall that's 27 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: one point seven ms. Gagarin checked both boxes, and he 28 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: was one of the lucky candidates selected for further training. 29 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: It started with rigorous physical training, which included dozens of 30 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: parachute jumps, over water, oxygen starvation tests, and isolation chamber 31 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: procedures meant to weed out anyone who might melt down 32 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: psychologically in space. Though the process was competitive, Gagarin stood 33 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: out for both his physical skills and his exceptional personality. 34 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: He was competent and simply likable, in part because of 35 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: the ever present smile on his face. His positive aro 36 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: was such a large part of why he was ultimately 37 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: chosen for the mission. Just one week before launch, the 38 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: Soviets knew that there soon to be famous Cosnaught would 39 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: need to look good in front of a camera for 40 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: propaganda purposes. Gagarins beaming smile fit the bill. On April 41 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: twelfth of nineteen sixty one, the rocket lifted off from 42 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: the cosmod Realme Just minutes later. The former farm boy 43 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: was the first human in space. We spoke with Howard McCarty, 44 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: as space policy expert and public affairs professor at American University. 45 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: He said Gagaren was very charismatic and well liked within 46 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: the Cosmonaut Corps. He was apparently fearless. While the chief 47 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: space flight engineer was popping tranquilizers, Gagarin was sitting calmly 48 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: in capsule in nine six one. Very little was known 49 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: about space flight and what would happen to a human 50 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: who was waitless for longer than a few seconds, So 51 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: there was a lot riding on this. Gagar In orbited 52 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: our planet just a single time, for a hundred and 53 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: eight minutes. He reached a maximum height of two hundred 54 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: three miles or three seven kilometers. During the flight, he ate, 55 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 1: drank and monitored the onboard systems. McCarty said Gagarin had 56 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: no control over his spacecraft. According to sources at NASSA, 57 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: flight controllers gave Gagarin a key to the controls for 58 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: use in an emergency, which he did not use. Otherwise 59 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: he was just a passenger on the spacecraft, and gagarans 60 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: returned to Earth. Wasn't the tidy sort of splash down 61 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: that we're used to witnessing these days, McCarty said. Gagarin 62 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: did not land with his space capsule. He jumped out 63 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: of it and parachuted to the ground, sort of a 64 00:03:55,760 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: hair raising way to land. Even before he landed, the 65 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: Soviets were trumpeting the trailblazing space flight, his safe return 66 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: guaranteed worldwide. Celebrity streets were named for him, and he 67 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. 68 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: Some called him the modern day Christopher Columbus. He traveled 69 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: the world living proof of the success of the Soviet 70 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: space program. The celebrity Cosnat visited dozens of countries in 71 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: celebration of his incredible space flight, but he was barred 72 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: from entering the United States. President John F. Kennedy wanted 73 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: no part of celebrating the Soviet Union's accomplishment, which cast 74 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: the US as being behind in the space race. Once 75 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: his publicity tour ended, Gagarin slowly returned to flying. The 76 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: Air Force promoted him multiple times, in large part to 77 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: keep him out of airplanes and safely on the ground. 78 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: No one wanted their international superstar to die young, yet 79 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: his bout with fame was unsettling. Gagarin took to drinking heavily, 80 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: which concerned his superiors. Still, he trained for space and 81 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: was named a backup for the so Use one mission, 82 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: and it was a lucky thing for him too. The 83 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,239 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty seven mission failed catastrophically when the landing module's 84 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 1: parachute failed to open, ending with the first in flight 85 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: spacecraft fatality. Gagarin gave up drinking. The next year, he 86 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: recommitted himself to flying and even participated in aerospace engineering 87 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: in hopes of helping to create a reusable spacecraft. In 88 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight, the famed pilot and cosmonaut took off 89 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: on a routine training flight. Shortly thereafter, the plane crashed 90 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: near town just outside Moscow. Both Gagaran and the flight 91 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: instructor perished. Gagarin was just thirty two years old. Immediately, 92 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: the Soviets rushed to gloss over the incident, covering up 93 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: details for decades lacking convincing explanations, conspiracy theories abounded, but 94 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: none of them stuck in New evidence emerged thanks to 95 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: the investigative work of Alexei Leonov, former cosmonaut who was 96 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: troubled by the death of his friend and fellow space traveler. 97 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: His unconfirmed explanation for the crash an error and air 98 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: traffic control during the fateful flight. A Soviet plane much 99 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: larger than the training flight model could have violated Gagarin's airspace. 100 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: The turbulence could have caused Gagaran to lose control and 101 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: ultimately plunged to his death, And perhaps the embarrassment of 102 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 1: losing a national icon to such a simple error was 103 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 1: too much to admit publicly, Or maybe, as Leonov speculated, 104 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: the authorities didn't want to make public that there was 105 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: a lapse so close to Moscow. We may never know 106 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: for sure. What we do know is that Ggarans first 107 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: and only space mission left an indelible mark on our world. 108 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: But we also spoke via email with Amy Foster, assistant 109 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: history professor at the University of Central Florida. She said 110 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: people had been dreaming of flying in the air from 111 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: millennia before the right Brothers achieved that in nineteen o three, 112 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 1: the idea of humans flying in space was even more lofty. 113 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: While both the United States and the Soviet Union had 114 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 1: successfully launched living creatures by the time of Gagarans flight, 115 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: there were still questions about how the mission would affect 116 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: a human so Ggarans flight made flying in space not 117 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: only achievable, but also a realistic endeavor. Today's episode was 118 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: written by Nathan Chandler and produced by Tyler Clang. For 119 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: more on this and lots of other far flung topics, 120 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: visit housemufworks dot com. Brain Stuff is production of iHeart Radio. 121 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 122 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.