All you wanted to know about Russian space exploration… and more!
April 12 is the UN-declared ‘International Day of Human Space Flight’. On this day in 1961, legendary Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made mankind's first ever voyage into space aboard the Vostok-1 spacecraft. What has Russia achieved in space since then?
5 little-known facts about the first man in space
Yuri Gagarin’s selection as the first man to fly into space changed history, but it also changed his life. Here are some interesting things about the first man in space.
8 main HEROES of Soviet space exploration
Besides Gagarin, there are other legendary figures of the space exploration era, who also helped bring space closer to humans.
Why does Russia send so few women into space?
The Soviet Union was the first country to send a woman to space. It was 25-year-old Valentina Tereshkova. But, in total, only five Russian women have been to space in over half a century. Why is that?
1,000 days in space: What do we know about Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko?
In 2024, Oleg Kononenko became the world's first cosmonaut to accumulate more than 1,000 days in space! We gathered some other interesting facts about him.
Russia's Star City – where cosmonauts prepare for flights
The ‘Yuri Gagarin’ Cosmonaut Training Center, established in 1960, is located in Moscow Region. The settlement is closed to the public, but you can enter either by going on an official tour or as a candidate for a flight into space. The first is easier!
The incredible story of Belka & Strelka space dogs
Before man went to space, the Soviet space program experimented by sending dogs. In 1960, two simple street mongrels went into orbit for an entire day, laying the groundwork for all future manned space flights.
So, the Soviet dog from the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ franchise was actually based on real life examples!
The superhero named ‘Cosmo’, a dog with telekinesis and psychic powers, was actually based on the mongrel dog named ‘Laika’, the first animal to go into space orbit.
How the USSR first reached Mars & showed it to the world
In 1971, Soviet Mars rover ‘Mars 3’ performed a soft landing on Mars for the first time in the history of humankind. We recount how it managed to do so.
Most UNUSUAL items Russian cosmonauts ever brought into space
Amid the truly indispensable items taken up to the ISS, cosmonauts also have a habit of taking things to brighten the mood and nurture the soul. Find out what they are…!
To whom is the only art installation on the Moon dedicated?
In the early 1970s, 14 people were commemorated with a sculpture that was brought to Earth’s only natural satellite. Who were they?
How Soviet cosmonauts once SAVED Earth from a falling ‘dead’ space station
Soviet astronauts managed to save a lot of lives by manually docking the “dead” ‘Salyut 7’ orbital station. To this day, this maneuver is considered to be the hardest and the most dangerous in the history of cosmonautics.
What do cosmonauts actually think of UFOs?
Everyone who’s ever been to space has sought answers to the most fundamental questions, including the most pressing of all – are we alone? Find out what Soviet and Russian cosmonauts have said over the years.
How did villages called ‘Mars’, ‘Venus’ and ‘Uranus’ appear in Russia?
Martians live among us and that’s not a joke. If you take a look at the map of the country, you’ll spot literally dozens of settlements with cosmic toponyms. How exactly are they linked to space?
