While preparing for the first human-crewed Vostok mission, 27-year-old Yuri Gagarin rose to the top of his class thanks to his memory, reflexes, and poise during a crisis. Gagarin was always calm and ...

As the Soviet Vostok 1 spaceflight began its descent back to Earth in April of 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin officially became the first human in space. However, in only a matter of seconds, his module ...