Man flew into space for the first time on April 12. 1961. This flight was made by Yuri Gagarin, the Russian spaceman. The name of his saceship was the Vostok. The flight lasted for one hour and forty-eight minutes.

The Vostok left the earth at 9-07 a.m. (Moscow time). Gagarin heard a sharp whistle and a roar. He felt pressed down to his seat. This was because of the G-forces. The G-forces are the earth. s gravitational pull plus the forces created by the ship's changing speeds. The parts of the rockets fell off by stages. Then the ship began to go round the earth in space. Gagarin was now in a state o weightlessness. He felt light and free. He could do all his work. He tried to put his pencil down. It floated away from him! He could see the earth from the ship. s windows. The earth, the sun and the stars looked most beautiful.

The last stage of the flight came. The Vostok lost speed. It left the orbit. It began to come down. It became a ball of fire because of air-friction. But inside Gagarin was safe. Once more the G-forces acted on Gagarin. At 10-55, the Vostok landed on the earth.