1960 Cosmonaut Selection
The decision to begin the selection of the first group
of Soviet cosmonauts was taken in 1959. Early that year, a meeting was held
of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Those participating were Mstislav Keldysh
(Head of Space programmes), Sergei Korolyov (Chief Spacecraft Designer),
Lt. General Nikolai Kemanin together with other personalities in the Soviet
space programme. Following the meeting, a group of doctors, placed under
the direction of Karpov selected fighter pilots who, having had a mechanical
failure during a flight, had returned to base onboard their aircraft rather
than ejecting, among the pilots was one who had chosen never to eject, this
was my husband, Yuri Gagarin.
The Soviet Space Program and
Cosmonaut Training
Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
The Gagarin Household (From the Official Soviet State Collection)
