Khrushchev's period of rule in the Soviet Union was remembered not only by dull and similar houses, corn and thaw. It was during the time of Nikita Sergeevich that the space arms race between the two superpowers of that time began: the Soviet Union and the United States. The cosmonauts of the USSR are known in every corner of the civilized world. It was they who were the first in space, once inaccessible to people. The struggle for space has become an integral part of the cultural, ideological and technological rivalry between countries, thus the study of space was not only military and scientific, but also social.
Yu. A. Gagarin, world-famous today, became the first person to find himself in space and in Earth's orbit. The cosmonauts of the USSR were like the glorious heroes of ancient Greek epics. They were courageous, honest and courageous. They attracted a lot of attention not only within the country, but also abroad. Their sayings were passed from mouth to mouth and foundgreat reflection in culture. So, for example, after the first flight into space, Yuri Gagarin visited more than thirty countries of the world and traveled extensively within the USSR. No wonder, because it was his face and name that became the real banner and symbol of the Soviet Union as the first space superpower to make a manned flight into space. On March 25, 1968, a Soviet cosmonaut crashed his plane during training sessions. The day of the tragic death of Colonel Gagarin became a nationwide mourning.
The first cosmonauts of the USSR were not only men. On June 16, 1963, the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, went into space on the Vostok-6 spacecraft. The Soviet Union wanted to launch two female cosmonaut corps into orbit, but in the end, the choice fell on only one Tereshkova. The selection of the first woman in space was as tough as the selection of men. They had to spend ten days in an isolation chamber, endure incredible physical overload and high temperatures, and also undergo the necessary parachute training. It is worth noting that the choice for Valentina Tereshkova also fell due to her class origin: she was from a simple working-class family, while the other applicants were from the families of employees.
Modern cosmonautics in Russia is in a period of stagnation and is inferior in pace to the American space programs. Soviet cosmonauts from the times of socialism are much more famous than their Russian counterparts. This is due to the reduction of funds invested in space exploration in our country. In 2009, the development of cosmonautics in Russia wasonly $2.8 billion was spent, while the US invested $48.8 billion in this area.
Famous space scientists such as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Herman Oberth and Robert Goddard are also space heroes. Soviet cosmonauts and US astronauts are practically pop idols, while great scientists remain forgotten. But it was Konstantin Tsiolkovsky who first proposed the use of rockets for space flight, and Hermann Oberth described the principles of such a flight.
Today, almost anyone can become an astronaut. Space tourism is developing incredibly fast. And if the obsessive desire to see the "blue balloon" with your own eyes does not leave your head, you need to get good he alth and $63 million in your pocket.
