Yuri Gagarin, hero of the Soviet Union and first person in space, took the first big steps that led to the era of manned spaceflight. Details of the historic flight of Vostok 1 are discussed through his eyes, including his exciting first view of Earth and the stars from space.
East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than fifteen million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct--and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man. In this sequel to The Loch and prequel to MEG: Nightstalkers, New York Times bestselling author Steve Alten offers readers a crossover novel that combines characters from two of his most popular series. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person in history to leave the Earth's atmosphere and venture into space. His flight aboard a Russian Vostok rocket lasted only 108 minutes, but at the end of it he had become the most famous man in the world. Back on the ground, his smiling face captured the hearts of millions around the globe. Film stars, politicians and pop stars from Europe to Japan, India to the United States vied with each other to shake his hand. Despite this immense fame, almost nothing is known about Gagarin or the exceptional people behind his dramatic space flight. Starman tells for the first time Gagarin's personal odyssey from peasant to international icon, his subsequent decline as his personal life began to disintegrate under the pressures of fame, and his final disillusionment with the Russian state. President Kennedy's quest to put an American on the Moon was a direct reaction to Gagarin's achievement--yet before that successful moonshot occurred, Gagarin himself was dead, aged just thirty-four, killed in a mysterious air crash. Publicly the Soviet hierarchy mourned; privately their sighs of relief were almost audible, and the KGB report into his death remains secret. Entwined with Gagarin's history is that of the breathtaking and highly secretive Russian space program - its technological daring, its triumphs and disasters. In a gripping account, Jamie Doran and Piers Bizony reveal the astonishing world behind the scenes of the first great space spectacular, and how Gagarin's flight came frighteningly close to destruction.
Is it possible that the famous American moon landings were nothing but an illusion - a fabrication? Could NASA have fooled the world by broadcasting simulations that had been filmed for training purposes? From the very first manned flight into orbit right up to the present day there have been serious anomalies in the official narrative of the conquest of space. Bestselling author Gerhard Wisnewski dissects the history in minute detail - from the first Russian missions to the final American moon project of Apollo 17 - looking at films, photos, radio communications, personal statements and any other available material. Using forensic methods of investigation, he pieces together a complex jigsaw depicting a disturbing picture of falsifications, lies and fakery in the Cold War struggle for supremacy between the Soviet Union and the USA. The evidence he presents casts serious doubt on the possibility of humans ever having walked on the moon. Wisnewski’s research calls for a reassessment of the received wisdom that has entered the fabric of our culture. The true story of space exploration has a more sinister undertone, he argues. Beneath the guise of civilian space travel the US military has been developing fearsome new equipment and weapons to be secretly stationed in space with the aim of militarizing the orbit around the earth. The potential targets: every human being on the planet. Profusely illustrated with over 200 photos and diagrams.
Spacecraft have a very important job—transporting people between Earth and space. Readers explore the history of this mode of transportation, including the spacecraft that brought people to the moon and the Soyuz spacecraft that carry astronauts today. This information is presented to readers through engaging main text and fun fact boxes, which provide additional details about this topic. Readers also learn about the future of space exploration, including spacecraft that could one day take people to Mars. Colorful photographs of spacecraft in action make this an out-of-this-world reading experience!
"Let's go!" With that, the boyish, grinning Yuri Gagarin launched into space on April 12, 1961, becoming the first human being to exit Earth's orbit. The twenty-seven-year-old lieutenant colonel departed for the stars from within the shadowy world of the Soviet military-industrial complex. Barbed wires, no-entry placards, armed guards, false identities, mendacious maps, and a myriad of secret signs had hidden Gagarin from prying outsiders—not even his friends or family knew what he had been up to. Coming less than four years after the Russians launched Sputnik into orbit, Gagarin's voyage was cause for another round of capitalist shock and Soviet rejoicing. The Cosmonaut Who Couldn't Stop Smiling relates this twentieth-century icon's remarkable life while exploring the fascinating world of Soviet culture. Gagarin's flight brought him massive international fame—in the early 1960s, he was possibly the most photographed person in the world, flashing his trademark smile while rubbing elbows with the varied likes of Nehru, Castro, Queen Elizabeth II, and Italian sex symbol Gina Lollobrigida. Outside of the spotlight, Andrew L. Jenks reveals, his tragic and mysterious death in a jet crash became fodder for morality tales and conspiracy theories in his home country, and, long after his demise, his life continues to provide grist for the Russian popular-culture mill. This is the story of a legend, both the official one and the one of myth, which reflected the fantasies, perversions, hopes and dreams of Gagarin's fellow Russians. With this rich, lively chronicle of Gagarin's life and times, Jenks recreates the elaborately secretive world of space-age Russia while providing insights into Soviet history that will captivate a range of readers.
Join Yuri Gagarin on his journey into space! This book examines the extraordinary life of the first astronaut in space, from his early life to his first trip aboard a Russian spacecraft. Discover what the space race was and other developments happening at the time. Find out about the rigorous training that astronauts undergo and how they prepare for a journey into the unknown.