when Yuri Gagarin entered the earth cabin the technicians
Answers
12 April 1961 (just before launch)
Sergei Korolev (USSR space programme’s chief engineer): I just want to remind you that after the signal for 1-minute readiness, there will be about 6 minutes before the flight starts. So don’t worry.
Yuri Gagarin: I got you. I’m perfectly calm.
Pavel Popovich (ground-based astronaut): Yuri, are you getting bored in there?
YG: If you had some music to play me…
SK (to his technicians): Execute the request. Play him some music. Repeat: play him some music.
YG: They’ve put on a love song.
SK: I think that’s a good choice, Yuri
PP: Great, now it won’t be as boring in there! Everyone is really delighted that all is well and good with you.
Launch
SK: We are turning on the ignition… Lift off!
YG: Poyekhali! [Let’s go!] The noise in the cabin is a low hum. All is going well, feeling good.
SK: We wish you a good flight.
YG: Goodbye, see you soon my dear friends. The vibration becomes more frequent, the noise increases…
3 minutes after launch
SK: How are you feeling?
YG: I can see Earth. I am looking at the clouds. Beautiful, so beautiful! How do you hear me?
SK: We hear you fine, keep on flying.
6 minutes after launch
YG: Right now the Earth is covered by more and more clouds… now the clouds have opened up. I can differentiate the layers of the landscape: snow, forest, mountains. Feeling excellent.
~20 minutes after launch
YG: The feeling of weightlessness is interesting. Everything floats. Beautiful!
~57 minutes after launch
YG: I can see the Earth’s horizon. It has a beautiful blue halo. The sky is black. I can see stars – a pretty fantastic view.
~66 minutes after launch
YG: I am flying above the sea. It is possible to determine the direction of motion of the sea.
Landing (108 minutes after launch)
(Gagarin ejects from the spacecraft and lands in a field in the Saratov region of the USSR, where he is approached by Anna Takhtarova and a girl)
YG: Don’t be afraid, comrades! I am a friend.
Anna Takhtarova: Have you come from space?
YG: You won’t believe it.
Gagarin’s first statement on landing (as reported by Radio Moscow)
YG: I would like to report to the Party, our Government and personally to Nikita Khrushchev [then the USSR’s leader] that the mission was successfully accomplished. I landed safely without any injuries or shocks. Acceleration was a rough experience, but endurable.