Jamie Doran - Starman - The Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin

As for Yuri: he will always retain his rightful place in history, regardless of anything we have written. He may only be as popular as Captain Kirk for now, but his true importance in the story of our species is still evolving. Probably it will be best appreciated by men and women not yet born: the people of a space-faring civilisation, scattered far and wide among the infinite opportunities of the cosmos.

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Two great rivals: Gherman Titov (left) and Gagarin ( Baker/Planet ),

A view through the Vostok capsule’s hatch ( Baker ),

A Vostok on display showing the troublesome electrical connector ( Baker/Planet ),

A Vostok ejection seat and space suit ( Baker ),

Gagarin and his political champion, Nikita Khruschev, celebrating in Moscow, 14 April 1961 ( Baker ),

Gagarin with Sergei Korolev shortly after the flight, 1961 ( Baker/Novosti )