On 12 April 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin completed one orbit aboard Vostok 1 — about 108 minutes that made him the first person to leave Earth and see its curve from above.
The flight was automated and risky; reentry and landing were still being proven. His call sign and smile became symbols of a new frontier.
One short loop opened the human spaceflight era. Every astronaut and taikonaut since walks a path that began with that single orbit.
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