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(Vostok I, 12 April 1961) Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin
Description
Typescript signed by Gagarin, 3 pages (111/8 × 7 7/8 in.; 283 × 202 mm.), carbon-typescript with one correction in ribbon-typescript, on the rectos only of three leaves of laid paper; being leaves [17–19] of: USSR Central Aeroclub "V.P. Chkalov", Records File of the First Space Flight, by USSR citizen Yuri Alexeyevitch Gagarin, Made on April 12, 1961, on Spaceship-Sputnik "Vostok", Moscow, 1961, typescript in Russian, title-page in Russian and English, signed by Gagarin as above and also signed in typescript by various Aeroclub and Soviet officials and engineers, 24 pages, carbon-typescript with insertions in ribbon-typescript and black manuscript, on the rectos only of 24 leaves of laid paper, foliated [1] 2–16 [17–24], with five black-and-white photographs tipped in on leaves [20–24]. Contemporary Russian brown textured cloth, wove pastedowns and flyleaves.
Condition
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Catalogue Note
The 'Columbus letter' of space travel:
"On the twelfth of april, 1961, a Soviet spacecraft called 'Vostok' was put into orbit around the earth; and I was aboard."
"Before the flight I received the appropriate training. The training program was designed by our scientists. I studied the technology as well and was well prepared for spaceflight.
"Before the flight I felt excellent. I was confident that the flight would be successful. The technology was perfect and very reliable; and neither my colleagues, nor the scientists, engineers, and technicians, nor myself, ever doubted that the spaceflight would be a success.
"During the flight, my condition was excellent.
"On the active segment at the time of launch, the effect of overloads, vibration, and other stresses had no depressing effects on my condition; and I was able to operate efficiently according to my flight program.
"After the ship reached orbit and separated from the carrier rocket, weightlessness set in. Initially this was an unusual sensation, even though, briefly, I had experienced it previously. But I soon grew accustomed to the weightlessness, and continued to execute my program. It is my subjective opinion that the effect of weightlessness does not affect the body's ability to work or perform physiological functions.
"In the course of the flight I conducted effective work according to the program. During the flight I took food and water and maintained continuous radio communication with the Earth through several channels, both by telephone and by telegraph. I observed the operation of the space equipment and reported to the Earth, wrote down the data into my log, and recorded them on a tape recorder. I felt quite well and retained my ability to work during the entire period of weightlessness. Then, at a certain time according to the flight program, the command was given to land. The braking engine was activated and the speed was set that was necessary for the ship to land. The landing was conducted according to the flight program, and I was happy to meet our friendly Soviet people on the ground. The landing occurred at the programmed site.
"I would like to say a few words about the observations I conducted while in space.
"The Earth from an altitude of 175-327 kilometers can be seen quite well. The view of the Earth's surface is similar to what one observes from a flight at high altitude on a jet plane. Large mountain ranges, big rivers, large forest tracts, shorelines, and island are all clearly discernible. One can see the clouds covering the Earth's surface very well, the shadow of these clouds on the Earth. The sky is completely black; and against the background of this black sky the stars appear somewhat brighter and more distinct. The Earth has a very characteristic, very beautiful blue halo, which is seen well when you observe the horizon. There is a smooth color transition from tender blue, to blue, to dark blue and purple, and then to the completely black color of the sky. It is a very beautiful transition.
"As the spaceship emerges from the shadow, the sun disappears and it is seen translucent through the Earth's atmosphere. Then the halo acquires a slightly different tinge. At the surface near the Earth's horizon, one could observe the bright orange color, which then passed through the entire rainbow spectrum to light and dark blue, purple, and the black sky.
"The ship enters the Earth's shadow very quickly. All of a sudden it is dark, and you can see nothing. I did not observe anything on the Earth's surface at that time because nothing could be seen. Apparently I was flying over the ocean, because if there were large cities, then probably city lights would be visible.
"The stars can be seen quite well. The emergence from the Earth's shadow is also very sharp and quick.
"I easily endured the effects of space flight because I had been well trained. At the present time I feel very well.
"Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR Major Y.A. Gagarin 15 April 1961."
Gagarin's report follows a summary of general information about Vostok I; five Aeroclub documents describing its weight, take-off, landing, and flight-duration and –altitude; two papers from the Moscow-Kosmos Coordinating and Computing Center on the orbital computations; and an account of the working principles of Vostok I and some of the special equipment on board.
These are the official reports of the first manned flight in space, prepared for submission to the federation aeronautique internationale, and signed and dated by the first human being ever to venture beyond the earth.
The immediate purpose of these reports was to document Vostok I's claim to aeronautic and astronautic records — which in turn would buttress the propaganda-value of Gagarin's flight for the Soviet Union. Moscow's hunger for these records led the Soviet government not only to produce the present reports immediately after the success of Gagarin's flight, but also to cover up the fact that Gagarin had not landed in his craft — as the FIA's rules required — and that instead he had ejected from Vostok I during the reentry and descended to Earth by parachute.
To judge from the fact that the present Records File was typewritten and not printed, and to judge too from the quality of its paper and the clarity of the present typescript, the number of copies produced must have been very small — no fewer than two, and probably no more than five or six. Thus the present typescript must be one of only about four copies made, and probably the only one in private hands.