Why April 12th is World Cosmonautics Day. Cosmonautics Day is the international day of human spaceflight. Why Britain recognized the February Revolution

The history of the appearance of the Cosmonautics Day holiday is relatively small, but very interesting.

On April 12, 1961, a grandiose event took place: the Soviet pilot Yuri Gagarin, for the first time in the history of mankind, launched a spacecraft into low Earth orbit. In our time, flights into space are perceived quite casually, and the profession of "cosmonaut" is no longer the dream of millions of boys. Fly into space now simple people even if they have received special training. "Space tourists" - that's what they are called, and at the very beginning of the 60s, the 108 minutes that Gagarin spent in space became a real triumph of Soviet science.

Cosmonautics Day holiday history: how it all began

In the USSR, for a very long time, all information about people related to the production of rockets was kept secret. It was only years later that the world learned that the first artificial satellite, launched on October 4, 1957 in high secrecy, was created by designer Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. That flight was successful, so in November 1957 it was officially announced that the Soviet Union had launched another Earth satellite, in which there was a "container with an animal." Later it became known that this "passenger" was a dog named Laika. Scientists wanted to test whether a person could survive in flight.

The first attempt failed: some mistake crept into the design of the ship, and the animal died. But experiments with dogs continued, and on August 19, 1960, another Soviet rocket launched the Sputnik-5 ship, with two dogs on board, into low Earth orbit. They were Belka and Strelka. They returned alive, and it became clear that a person, too, could safely survive the flight.

The history of the celebration of Cosmonautics Day in Russia

The event that took place on April 12, 1961 was truly fantastic and literally turned the world upside down. In less than 2 hours, while the flight lasted, the previously unknown pilot Gagarin became an uneasy Hero of the Soviet Union, he became the idol of the entire planet.

A year later, his understudy German Titov came up with a proposal to the leadership of the USSR to perpetuate this legendary flight. The proposal was supported and in April 1962 the Supreme Soviet of the USSR signed a decree on a new public holiday.

History of Cosmonautics Day in the world

The conquest of outer space is an achievement that all mankind is proud of. Of course, the world community could not ignore this event, and at the Conference of the International Aviation Federation, held in 1968, a decision was made to establish the World Day of Aviation and Astronautics. Having acquired an international status, the holiday began to be widely celebrated all over the world.

In America, for example, there is a night version of the story of the celebration of Cosmonautics Day, known as St. George's Night. As part of the holiday, scientific lectures, quizzes, discussions and exhibitions are organized. The owners of many nightclubs organize special space parties for young people, and I show themed films in cinemas.

Cosmonautics Day the history of the holiday and its Russian traditions

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics was opened in Moscow on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of manned space flight. The idea of its creation belonged to S.P. Korolev. The museum's funds contain a large number of archival documents and works of art related to the space industry. It presents the original fragments of rocket technology and personal belongings of space explorers.

Every year, on Cosmonautics Day, the museum hosts various festive events: meetings with astronauts and performances by famous artists. It has become a good tradition to hold demonstration launches of mock-up rockets made by schoolchildren and students of technical universities.

With Yuri Gagarin, the era of manned space flights began, and today Cosmonautics Day is the history of the holiday not only for astronauts, but for all people who have made a significant contribution to the development of the space industry.

World Aviation and Cosmonautics Day is a holiday not only for cosmonauts and designers, but also for everyone who has devoted their lives to the exploration of space. Engineers, scientists, flight coordinators - they work to expand our knowledge of the universe and make possible what science fiction writers of the past only dreamed of.

In 2011, at a meeting of the UN General Assembly, a resolution was adopted, according to which April 12 is declared the International Day of Human Space Flight. Since then, this date has been a global symbol of scientific progress and human dedication.

History of World Aviation and Space Day

On April 12, 1961, the Vostok satellite under the control of Yuri Gagarin was launched into space. "Vostok" circled our planet in 108 minutes and landed in the Saratov region, near the village of Smelovka. The flight was coordinated by leading Soviet designers - Sergei Korolev, Leonid Voskresensky and Anatoly Kirillov.

This event ensured the leadership of the Soviet Union in the space race, in which the United States was their main rival. Already in the first decade after the flight of Yuri Gagarin, a landing on the moon was made, research on Venus and other planets of the solar system began. And in 2000, the International Space Station, which is a joint project of 15 countries of the world, received its first crew. In just 57 years, 122 of our compatriots managed to visit space.

How to become an astronaut

Due to the complexity of work in outer space, cosmonauts have always been subject to increased requirements. AT Soviet time the candidate had to have military service behind him, own a party card and be no more than 170 cm tall. It was also necessary to have excellent health and physical data at the level of a professional athlete.

Today, Roscosmos makes the following requirements for applicants for test cosmonauts:

Age must not exceed 35 years.
Higher education in engineering, science or flight specialties with work experience is required. Priority will be given to those who have already worked in the aviation and space industry.
Applicants must be well versed in space technology.
Need to know English language at the level of language programs of state universities.
A Russian passport is required. People with dual citizenship or a residence permit in another state are closed to becoming astronauts.

Launch of the carrier rocket "Soyuz-FG". TASS / Sergey Savostyanov

Those who manage to pass the initial selection and provide the necessary medical documents will be subject to a physical fitness test. These are serious exercises for strength, endurance and agility, which will continue with tests for stress resistance, the ability to think quickly and reaction to non-standard situations. In addition, candidates must write an essay and demonstrate engineering skills.

After successfully passing all the tests, a person officially becomes a candidate for test cosmonauts. In this position, he will be sent to the general space training course (OKP), which lasts two years. After graduating from it, you need to pass exams and get a qualification. Only then does he or she become a test astronaut.

Unfortunately, there is a high probability that the candidate will remain in the ranks of the reserve and will not be included in the current crew of the ship, since they still try to send those who already had similar experience in the past into space.

Cosmonaut, astronaut or taikonaut

Since 1960, in all official documents, the pilot-astronaut has been renamed the pilot-cosmonaut. This word became widespread just after the flight of Yuri Gagarin. But in fiction the word "cosmonaut" was first used by Viktor Saparin already in 1950, in his science fiction story "The New Planet".

The term "cosmonautics" was first used in the work "Introduction to Cosmonautics" in 1933. It was devoted to the theoretical possibility of traveling to other planets. Thanks to Sternfeld, the words "cosmonaut" and "cosmodrome" settled in the Russian language.

The word itself is derived from the Greek words "cosmos", which means "universe" in translation, and "nautiz" - "navigator". Therefore, an "astronaut" is a person "who has mastered the art of space navigation." However, in different countries ah, the designations of such a specialist are different. In France, for example, an astronaut is called a "spasionaut", in Ireland - "spaser", "raumfarer" in German, and "taikonaut" is used in Chinese-speaking countries.

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How is International Cosmonautics Day celebrated?

Every year two or three documentaries or feature films on the theme of space are shot in our country. As a rule, such films are screened in cinemas on Cosmonautics Day.

Also in Russia, on Cosmonautics Day, public figures and politicians congratulate space workers and award them with honorary titles and prizes. For people who are not connected with space, festivals, demonstrations of space technology, scientific forums and lectures are organized in cities. All this takes place as part of the St. George's Night event.

Previously, Channel Five talked about the opening of the largest museum in the universe.

In this age of technological progress, space is still one of the most exciting mysteries of this world. Therefore, this memorable date has long attracted the attention of people from different countries and occupies a special place in history.

Why is this holiday so important for Russia?

Cosmonautics Day is celebrated on April 12. This day was chosen for a reason: on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin performed the world's first orbital flight around the Earth. This event was a breakthrough in the study of extraterrestrial space, gave rise to its large-scale research, and the whole world learned about the first astronaut in the world.

For Russians, this memorable date is more important than for residents of other countries, because their compatriot became the hero, whose name went down in history as the name of the first person in space. The first step towards the study of outer space was taken by the Soviet Union.

In addition, in the same year, German Titov, a Soviet cosmonaut, spent 1 day, 1 hour and 18 minutes outside the Earth's surface - the first long flight in history. And two years later, the first and only woman so far to leave the planet alone, the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, went to explore the stellar distances. In 1965, Alexei Leonov, for the first time in the history of astronautics, went into outer space and stayed there for 12 minutes and 9 seconds.

The history of the celebration of Cosmonautics Day in Russia

Until now, Cosmonautics Day and the history of the holiday remain significant for both adults and children - just like in 1962, when the delight after the feat accomplished by Gagarin has not subsided yet.

The spacecraft "Vostok-1" with Yuri Gagarin was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and completed one revolution around the planet Earth. Having completed the flight at 108 minutes, he landed in the Saratov region, near the village of Smelovka, and the cosmonaut himself ejected at a distance of several kilometers from the Earth's surface and landed not far from the ship.

In the Soviet Union, Cosmonautics Day was already celebrated on next year after this event - April 12, 1962. On March 26, 1962, the second pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR German Titov addressed the Central Committee of the CPSU with a proposal to establish a memorable date on this day. The government supported this idea, and already the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 9, 1962 officially confirmed the appearance of this solemn date.

AT Russian Federation this day is celebrated in accordance with the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 "On the days of military glory and memorable dates in Russia."

The history of the holiday in the world

In 1968, at the initiative of the Soviet Union, the General Conference of the International Aviation Federation decided to proclaim Cosmonautics Day as an international holiday, which was called the World Day of Aviation and Cosmonautics. It began to be celebrated in the USA and Europe.

On April 12, 2001, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the first manned flight into space, the first Yuri's Night was held in the United States - an event aimed at increasing people's interest (mainly young people) in the study of extraterrestrial space by creating a relaxed atmosphere . It was a series of thematic entertainment performances and a party where everyone could express their interest in space in a form convenient for them.

Already in 2004, 34 states joined this festive event, and in 2011, on the 50th anniversary of the conquest of outer space, 567 events in 75 states were registered on the official website of St. George's Night.

St. George's night celebration

In the same 2011, the UN General Assembly proclaimed April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight. At first, more than 60 countries supported the decision, but in the following year, the number of states that recognized this solemn date increased.

It can be concluded that on the Day of Cosmonautics familiar to us, a number of other events dedicated to the first man who flew into space are also celebrated abroad.

Holiday traditions

Astronauts, employees of rocket-building enterprises, scientists, military personnel, space technology testers, teachers of disciplines related to the study of space often take part in the events dedicated to this day - all those who work in the space industry.

The main events of the holiday take place in the capital. The Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow prepares special projects for Cosmonautics Day, and the Moscow Planetarium organizes excursions and tells about the history of space exploration. Entertainment performances, thematic exhibitions and parties, scientific conferences, educational programs in museums and planetariums are held throughout the country. By tradition, demonstrative launches of rocket models assembled by young designers are held above the ground.

Homemade rocket mock-ups

Often on this day, balloons with space symbols are launched into the sky in memory of the feat that Yuri Gagarin accomplished.

Traditionally, on April 12, St. George's Night is celebrated all over the world. The reason for its holding is both the first flight of Yuri Gagarin into space and the launch of the first American shuttle - a reusable transport spacecraft.

The peculiarity of this event is that it combines the educational part and fun. As part of St. George's Night, there are space-themed parties, space-themed film screenings in cinemas (or local universities), themed music concerts, evening gatherings in the open air or in a bar, etc. There are no restrictions on the event. Anyone can spend St. George's Night, having previously registered the event on the official website.

St. George's Night was hosted by NASA astrobiologist Loretta Hidalgo and her husband, George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic. Lorreta Hidalgo writes on the official website of the event that their goal is to involve young people in science and show them that it is possible to love space without having a degree.

In Russia, despite the fact that this country has become the birthplace of Cosmonautics Day, St. George's Nights are held relatively infrequently. In 2011-2014, the celebration was held in Krasnoyarsk: it all began with lectures and quizzes on the topic of space, and ended with parties in a bar with a special "space menu". In 2018, only four St. George's Nights were held in Russia: two in Novosibirsk, one in Perm, and one in Gagarin, Smolensk region, the homeland of Yuri Gagarin.

Before Gagarin, three dogs had been in space: Laika, who died due to an error in the construction of the Sputnik-2 apparatus, and the well-known Belka and Strelka.
Turtles were the first animals to fly around the moon. This happened in 1968 on the Soviet ship Zond-4.
On April 12, 1981, exactly 20 years after Gagarin's flight into space, the American shuttle Columbia made its first manned flight.
Information about the first human flight into space did not appear anywhere until the flight itself, and photographs of this event presumably do not exist. The footage familiar to everyone was made later, when Yuri Gagarin repeated all his actions for newsreel.
Gagarin flew into space as a senior lieutenant, but N. S. Khrushchev succeeded in raising him to the rank of major even before he arrived on Earth.
The Vostok-1 landing was planned in Kazakhstan, but due to an error, it happened near the village of Smelovka.
Yuri Gagarin died on March 27, 1968 in a plane crash on a MiG-15UTI aircraft during a training flight led by V. S. Seregin. The exact cause of the plane crash is still unknown.
On the back surface of the moon there is a crater named after Yuri Gagarin.
Russian cosmonauts have a tradition: before departure, they watch the film "White Sun of the Desert". On his example, they are explained how to work with the camera.

This holiday is dedicated not only to Yuri Gagarin - it is dedicated to all those who work on the study of outer space, theorists and practitioners, scientists and engineers. People of these professions are slowly but surely bringing humanity closer to comprehending all the secrets of the Universe.

Cosmonautics Day is a holiday dedicated to the world's first flight of a Soviet man into space. The celebration is attended by astronauts, engineers and developers of manned vehicles, support personnel, scientists, military personnel employed in defense and reconnaissance space programs, employees of aviation and rocket manufacturing enterprises, students, teachers and graduates of universities related to aerospace technology and space.

The meaning of the holiday is to honor a memorable date - the first manned flight into space, which took place on 04/12/1961.

On Cosmonautics Day international holiday St. George's Night, which includes festivals, exhibitions of space technology, scientific conferences and lectures. Space industry workers receive congratulations from the first persons of the country, friends of relatives. They are awarded certificates and diplomas. Launches of models of space rockets are timed to coincide with the holiday.

The content of the article

history of the holiday

Cosmonautics Day was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 9, 1962. It was initiated by the second Soviet cosmonaut German Titov. Federal Law No. 32-FZ of March 13, 1995 "On the days of military glory and memorable dates in Russia" fixed this holiday and attributed it to the memorable dates of the Russian Federation.

In 1968, at the conference of the International Aviation Federation, Cosmonautics Day received international status and became known as World Aviation and Cosmonautics Day. On April 7, 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight.

The holiday is timed to coincide with the world's first manned flight into space on April 12, 1961. Yuri Gagarin became the first cosmonaut.

Holiday traditions

On Cosmonautics Day, St. George's Night is held - an international holiday in memory of Yuri Gagarin. The event includes festivals and exhibitions of space technology, scientific conferences, teleconferences, lectures and discussions. Thematic films are shown in cinemas. Nightclubs host themed parties.

On this day, young designers launch rocket models. The first persons of the country officially congratulate the workers of the space industry, present awards and prizes.

The main festive events take place in the capital. The Moscow Planetarium hosts lectures on the history of space exploration and demonstrates the work of the International Space Station. Excursions are arranged in the Great Observatory. Those who wish can see the moon and stars in the telescope.

Task for the day

Open the star map and find the constellations in the night sky.

The first animals to travel into space were the dogs Belka and Strelka. They flew in August 1960. Turtles were the first to land on the moon.
The flight of Yuri Gagarin around the planet Earth lasted 1 hour 48 minutes.
In 1961, after a flight into space, Yuri Gagarin went on a trip abroad "Mission of Peace". For two years he traveled around the continents and countries of the globe. The presidents and first persons of the states considered it an honor to shake hands with the astronaut.
The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova. She flew in 1963 on the Vostok-6 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The flight lasted three days.
On April 28, 2001, the first tourist flew into space - American businessman Dennis Tito. He paid $20 million for the trip.
Astronauts are not recommended to cry in space. In conditions of weightlessness, tears do not flow down the cheeks, but remain in the form of balls on the surface of the eye. This causes discomfort and pain.
A crater on the far side of the Moon is named after Yuri Gagarin.

toasts

“On Cosmonautics Day, I want to wish a clear and clear sky, cosmic expanses of happiness and inspiration. May the stars show the right path to success, may every day please you with new discoveries, steep ascents to the clouds of innermost dreams of the soul and heart.

“On the professional date, we congratulate all employees of the space industry who reveal to us the unprecedented riches of space, acquaint us with its greatness and extraordinary beauty, revealing its secrets! May your work be rewarded, and may fate give you a happy and long life!

“Congratulations on Cosmonautics Day! I wish you many stellar paths and more than one lucky star in the sky that will lead you to success on earth and in outer space. I wish you a flying mood, immense health, incredible discoveries and new absorbing depths of the Universe.

Present

Projector starry sky. A night light in the form of a starry sky projector will serve as an excellent themed gift for Cosmonautics Day. The projector will fill the room with mysterious starlight and create a magical atmosphere.

Mini-bar in the form of a globe. A mini bar in the form of a globe will be a wonderful themed gift, decorate your office or living room.

Mini model of the solar system. The mini model of the solar system will serve as an excellent souvenir for the holiday and will become an unusual decorative element of the interior.

Space food set. gift set space food in tubes will serve as an original present that will make you feel like an astronaut.

Contests

Walk on the moon
The props for the competition are fitness balls. Participants are divided into two teams and take turns sitting on fitballs, on which they must cross the room and pass the baton to the next person in the team. The team that completes the task the fastest wins.

build a rocket
The contestants are divided into pairs. Each pair is given a roll of paper towels. The first participant stands with their arms stretched up and palms clasped above their heads. The second team member starts wrapping it with paper towels. The pair that builds the rocket the fastest wins.

Exploration of Mars
Competitors are given sheets of paper and a pen. The host suggests imagining that they have to move to Mars to explore the planet. On command, the participants must temporarily make a list of items that would be useful to them for this. After the time has expired, the participants take turns reading the lists. Duplicate words are crossed out. The winner is the participant in whose arsenal there will be the largest number of items.

About the profession of astronauts

The profession of astronauts does not belong to the mass ones. These people go through rigorous selection and intensive training. People of any profession can become astronauts: scientists, pilots, engineers, physicists, doctors, biologists and other specialists. The most stringent requirement is good physical health. General space training takes about 1.5 years, and many cosmonauts have to wait from 5 to 10 years for their first flight.

Often the crew of a spacecraft consists of three people, where each member has his own clear functions and responsibilities. During the preparation, a clear plan and schedule of research, tests and experiments to be carried out in outer space is drawn up. The purpose of such events is to accumulate knowledge, skills and experience to perform complex functions.

This holiday in other countries

Cosmonautics Day, as in Russia, is celebrated on April 12 in more than 75 countries of the world, including the USA, Austria, France, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Canada and others. Every year more and more countries join this holiday.

And astronautics - a memorable date, which is dedicated to the first manned flight into space. This holiday is especially important for our country, it is the day of the triumph of science and progress, the day of all those people who today work in the space industry and are directly related to it. In our country, as a holiday - Cosmonautics Day - was established already in 1962 on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces of April 9, in 1968 this holiday received international status, this happened at the conference of the International Aviation Federation. At the same time, since 2011, the holiday has another name - the International Day of Human Space Flight. The corresponding resolution was adopted at the plenary session of the UN General Assembly, on the initiative of Russia, on April 7, 2011. This resolution was co-sponsored by 60 countries of the world, and the resolution itself was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first manned flight into space.

On April 12, 1961, a citizen of the Soviet Union, Senior Lieutenant Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin (the call sign of the first cosmonaut in humanity was “cedar”) on the Vostok spacecraft for the first time in the world performed an orbital flight around the Earth, opening up a new era for all mankind - the era of manned cosmonautics. The flight, which lasted only 108 minutes, was one of the most powerful and spectacular breakthroughs in space exploration. Immediately after the flight, Gagarin was awarded the extraordinary military rank of major, as well as the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Overnight, his name became famous all over the world.

Already at the end of April 1961, the first cosmonaut of the planet went on his first trip abroad. Many years later, it began to be called the "Mission of Peace". Yuri Gagarin traveled across countries and continents, the trips lasted 2 years, during which time Gagarin managed to visit about 30 states. Presidents and kings, scientists and politicians, musicians and artists considered it an honor to meet with the first astronaut in the world. In the UK, contrary to etiquette, Queen Elizabeth II was photographed with Gagarin, who noted that this was not an ordinary earthly person, but a heavenly one, so there was no violation of etiquette in this.

At the same time, our four-legged friends were the first to be sent into space. In August 1960, the Soviet spacecraft "Vostok" delivered two dogs Belka and Strelka into Earth's orbit, who made a daily flight and returned back to Earth. On July 20, 1969, the American spacecraft Apollo 11 landed on the surface of the moon and a man stepped on the surface of another celestial body for the first time. On November 17, 1970, the Soviet Lunokhod-1 was delivered to the surface of the Moon, which became the first planetary rover in the history of mankind. On June 15, 1975, the first international flight in the history of astronautics took place. The pioneers were the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz-19 and the American Apollo. It is possible to list the milestones of space exploration for quite a long time, all of them have become part of the common history of mankind.

Today, having entered the 21st century, we can observe amazing successes in the field of creating space technology and mastering the expanses of the universe. Today, tens of thousands of various satellites revolve around the Earth, spacecraft built by man landed on the Moon, delivering samples of lunar soil to Earth. Astronomical probes and rovers landed on the surface of Mars and Venus. A number of spacecraft crossed the limits of the Solar System, carrying on their board messages left to Extraterrestrial Civilizations.

If we talk about April 12, then this is a special date in the history of astronautics. On April 12, 1981, exactly 20 years after Yuri Gagarin's flight into space, the first shuttle was launched in the United States. The Space Shuttle Columbia (mission STS-1) carrying astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen made a successful maiden flight, launching a massive space shuttle program that ended in 2011.

Every year April 12 is celebrated in many countries around the world. On this day, a variety of festive events are held - thematic exhibitions, scientific, educational and educational seminars, lectures, conferences, screenings of feature films and documentaries, and much more. In Russia, the largest scientific and educational events are held in the main Museum of Cosmonautics.

It is worth noting that this holiday truly unites many peoples of our planet, as it combines the past, present and future of mankind. In 2001, on the anniversary of the 40th anniversary of the first manned flight into space, St. George's Night was held for the first time in history. The holiday, which is popular in the West, was organized by the Space Generation Advisory Council. A group of American activists initiated a new format for celebrating Cosmonautics Day that year. The new event gained popularity even before the UN declared April 12 International Day of Human Space Flight. The event, which originated in the United States, quickly acquired global proportions. Every year, the number of countries and cities participating in St. George's Night is growing, although the largest events are still held in the United States.

For example, in 2004 events within the framework of St. George's Night were held in 34 countries of the world, a total of 75 events were held. So the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin gave the holiday to the residents of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Stockholm. Festive events passed then even in the Arctic and, of course, on board the ISS. More than 100 famous people joined the celebrations in Los Angeles, including famed science fiction writer Ray Bradbury and the first ever space tourist, Dennis Tito.

In 2014, in Russia, especially for the holiday, Roscosmos, together with Rosatom, as well as one of the mobile operators, announced an interesting campaign called “SMS to the ISS”. The action is dedicated world day aviation and astronautics. According to the press service of the Russian space agency, anyone can join the action on April 12. To send an SMS aboard the ISS, you will need to send a text message to 1204 (the cost of the message is 0 rubles). Throughout the day, the most interesting and original messages will appear on the official twitter of the @SMSnaMKS campaign. The press service of Roskosmos added that following the results of the campaign, the warmest and most original SMS will be sent to the astronauts on board the ISS, which they will read during a video call session.

Based on materials from open sources