Space. Infinite emptiness, cold, and radiation. Man has always looked at the stars, but only in the 20th century was he able to reach them. And in this race beyond the atmosphere, Russia (then the Soviet Union) was the first, faster, braver. The first satellite, the first man, the first woman, the first spacewalk, the first orbital station. Without Russia, astronautics would have been different. On Russia Day, we remember this with pride, but without excess patriotism. Let's go in order.

Theoretical Foundation: Tsiolkovsky

Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky — a Kaluga teacher who in the late 19th to early 20th century derived a formula describing the motion of a rocket in a non-uniform gravitational field. His "Tsiolkovsky's Equation" is still the foundation of astronautics. He proposed using multistage rockets, the idea of liquid fuel, and considered the possibility of creating orbital stations. Europe and America were fascinated by dirigibles at the time, while Tsiolkovsky already knew that the future belonged to the rocket. He is called the "father of astronautics," and not without reason.

Korolev — Chief Designer

Sergei Pavlovich Korolev — a practitioner who brought Tsiolkovsky's ideas to life in metal. In the 1930s, he created the GIRD, but was repressed. He continued to work in the camp. After the war, he headed the Soviet rocket program. Under his leadership, the following were created: R-7 (the first intercontinental ballistic missile, which became the carrier for satellites), "Sputnik-1," "Vostok" (Gagarin's spacecraft), "Luna-1," "Luna-2," "Luna-3." Korolev was a genius of organization. It was he who made space a reality.

The First Satellite: October 4, 1957

PS-1 (the simplest satellite) weighed 83 kilograms and was the size of a ball. But its metallic "bip-bip" changed the world. The West was in shock. The satellite showed that the USSR had a rocket capable of delivering a payload to any point. And it also opened the space era. This day is remembered in Russia, as well as in the world. The satellite became a symbol of socialist technical superiority. Although in fact it was the achievement of specific individuals.

Gagarin: April 12, 1961

"Let's go!" said Yuri Gagarin, and 108 minutes changed history. The first man in space. After the flight, Gagarin became a world star, a symbol of the Soviet dream. But few know that there was a risk: he almost died during the landing in the Saratov region. However, everything turned out fine. Gagarin opened the way for others.

Women in Space: Tereshkova and Savitskaya

Valentina Tereshkova (1963) — the first woman astronaut. Her flight was politically significant: to show that in the USSR a woman is no worse than a man. Later, Svetlana Savitskaya (1982) became the second woman in space and the first to walk in space. In other countries, women had to wait for decades.

Spacewalk: Leonov

On March 18, 1965, Alexei Leonov first left the spacecraft "Voskhod-2." It was dangerous: the spacesuit expanded, and Leonov had a hard time returning. But he managed to do it. After him, extravehicular activity became routine. Leonov was also an artist, drawing the cosmos.

The Moon: Soviet Stations and the Moon Race

The USSR was unable to land a man on the Moon, but Soviet automatic stations achieved a lot. "Luna-2" (1959) was the first to reach the surface. "Luna-3" photographed the far side. "Luna-9" (1966) made a soft landing. "Lunokhod-1" (1970) traveled 10.5 km. Americans won the piloted race, but robots in the USSR were the best.

Long-Duration Orbital Stations: Salut and Mir

In 1971, "Salut-1" — the first piloted orbital station — was launched. Then there were "Salut-2" ... "Salut-7." And "Mir" (1986-2001) became a real home in space, where people lived and worked for years. Cosmonauts from different countries visited "Mir." "Mir" was a symbol of international cooperation even before the ISS.

International Space Station (ISS)

Russia is a key partner in the ISS. Our segment (modules "Zarya," "Zvezda," "Poisk," "Rassvet," "Nauka") provides the station's functioning. Russian spacecraft "Soyuz" were the only transport for astronauts for a long time after the shutdown of the shuttles. Without Russia, the ISS would not have taken off.

Modern Projects: "Angara," "Orlan," "Luna-25"

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, astronautics went through a crisis. But new rockets "Angara" (the first family on eco-friendly fuel) have been flying since 2014. The piloted spacecraft "Orlan" is being prepared. In 2023, "Luna-25" was launched (it crashed, but there is more to come). Russia is participating in the creation of a new orbital station (ROSS). No, we have not gone into the past.

Russia and the development of astronautics is a history of ups and downs. From Tsiolkovsky to Elon Musk, but without Korolev and Gagarin, Musk would have been impossible. We have given the world space. And we continue to work in it.

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