Biography of Yuri Gagarin for children
Yuri Gagarin's childhood
Yuri was born on March 9, 1934 in the village of Klushino into a family of wealthy peasants. At the age of 6, the future cosmonaut went to school, but due to the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, his studies had to be interrupted until 1943.
In 1945, Gagarin's family moved to the city of Gzhatsk. After Yuri finished 6th grade, he decided to move to Moscow. The parents tried to dissuade the young man, but were unable to do so. So, in 1949, 15-year-old Yuri Gagarin moved to the capital. He settled with relatives. He studied at a vocational school, while simultaneously completing the 7th grade program at a school for working youth.
In 1951, the young man moved to Saratov, where he began studying at an industrial technical school.
For children about space and the first cosmonaut
On April 12, our country celebrates Cosmonautics Day. On this day in 1961, our planet was shocked by the news: “Man in space!”
People's dream of flying into space has come true. But before going into space, humanity went a long way studying it.
Our Earth is a huge ball on which there are seas, rivers, mountains, deserts and forests. And also people live. Our Earth and everything that surrounds it. called the Universe, or space. In addition to our blue planet, there are others, there are 8 of them in total, and there are also stars. Stars are huge balls of light. The sun is also a star. It is located close to the Earth, so we feel its heat. We see other stars only at night, and during the day the Sun eclipses them. To compare the size of the Sun with the size of the Earth, you can take a pumpkin or watermelon and a pea. The pea is our Earth, the pumpkin is the Sun. The Earth is as much smaller than the Sun as a pea is smaller than a pumpkin.
Previously, people did not know anything about space, about the stars and believed that the sky was a cap that covered the Earth, and the stars were attached to it. Ancient people thought that the Earth was motionless, and the Sun and Moon revolved around it. Also in ancient times , people thought that the earth was flat and supported by three huge elephants. Many years later, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus proved that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun. Newton understood why the planets revolve around the Sun and do not fall. They all fly around the Sun in their own way.
But in theory this is one thing, but I wanted to see it, and scientists began to develop special devices: satellites and rockets. But even after the first rockets were created, it was very dangerous to fly, because no one knew exactly what was hidden in space. And it was decided to send the animals first on the flight. There were dogs, rabbits, mice, even microbes.
Dogs are smarter animals than mice, but not all dogs were suitable for testing. Purebred dogs are very gentle, they were not suitable for space. The dogs were selected by size, trained with them, accustomed to noise and shaking. Ordinary mongrels came closest. In 1960, on August 19, two dogs, Belka and Strelka, were launched into space on the prototype of the Vostok spacecraft. They stayed in space for more than a day and returned safely. So scientists proved that space flight is possible.
Since then, a profession has appeared that did not exist before - astronaut. An astronaut is a person who tests space technology and works in space. Cosmonauts are courageous people, they train a lot, they must know and be able to do a lot in order to control a spaceship.
The first cosmonaut was Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin. On April 12, 1961, he flew into space on the Vostok-1 spacecraft and circled the Earth in 1 hour and 48 minutes. Came back alive and healthy. For our country and the whole World, Yuri Alekseevich became a hero, all newspapers and magazines wrote about him, they talked about him in all corners of the Earth. Cities, streets, and avenues are named after him. There is a crater on the Moon named after him, as well as a minor planet.
Many years have passed since the first flight, and people have learned to build complex orbital stations that are launched into space and scientists live there for several months, studying space. And on the day of the first flight into space, every year on April 12, we celebrate Cosmonautics Day - a holiday when we congratulate everyone who studies space.
For children about space and the first cosmonaut
Man in space
The first person to see the Earth from space was military pilot Yuri Gagarin. His flight lasted less than 2 hours, but preparation for it took a whole year. His backup was German Titov, cosmonaut No. 2. The photograph of the first cosmonaut spread all over the world, and he was greeted with delight in many countries.
A year later, April 12 was declared Cosmonautics Day in the USSR; since 2011, this day has become international. The Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center is located in Star City.
Rice. 2. Yuri Gagarin in a spaceship.
Today, more than 560 people from 35 countries have been in space. Astronauts work on the International Space Station (ISS), shifts last up to 8–9 months.
Gagarin and several other pilots from the cosmonaut corps participated in the development of the unmanned space shuttle Buran, which took off in 1988.
The first cosmonauts
The story of space exploration begins with dogs. After the launch of the satellite, the dog Laika flew into space. Unfortunately, due to problems in the life support system, Laika died.
In 1960, the flight of Belka and Strelka lasted 25 hours. It was the first spacecraft carrying living beings to return to Earth. They created special costumes for dogs, developed a diet and a machine for dispensing food. For the first time, there was a television camera on board, a new life support system, and a catapult for emergency rescue of astronauts. A search and rescue service was organized.
After the flight, the dogs lived a long life at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine.
Rice. 1. Belka and Strelka in space.
The data obtained during the flights of astronaut dogs laid the foundation for human space flights.
Profession astronaut. Description for children
An astronaut is a person who must solve many problems on board a spacecraft. His responsibilities include managing on-board systems as well as scientific research equipment. In addition, he must be able to read the readings of all instruments on board and control the operating mode of all equipment and the ship’s engine.
The profession of “cosmonaut” also implies a lot. The description for children must include all the requirements for a future pilot. The main thing among them is to be able to make decisions in unexpected situations. When a ship is sailing in space, anything is possible.
For example, equipment may fail and begin to provide incorrect information. The problem that has arisen cannot always be solved with the help of the Earth. An astronaut must be able to remain calm in any situation and quickly make decisions to eliminate any problem that arises. That is why alarmists have no place on a spaceship.
History of the profession
This profession is quite young. Just in the last century, people could not even dream of getting closer to the stars, but today this task is being successfully solved by real professionals.
On April 12, 1961, the first space flight took place with the first cosmonaut on board, Yuri Gagarin. A ship called “Vostok” launched from Baikonur, and it was from that moment that the heroic profession of astronaut, which almost all children dream of, was born. This name is officially assigned to this specialty throughout the world, and only in the United States are representatives of the profession called astronauts.
The first pilots had to solve only one problem - to fly. However, over time, as space systems improved, the profession of astronaut began to imply much more. Requirements are increasing, which means that there are a variety of professionals on board the spacecraft: engineers, researchers, doctors and many other people who are united by a common goal - to explore new spaces of the Universe.
Space Museum
In Russia, 10 museums dedicated to astronautics have been created.
In Moscow, at the base of the monument to the Conquerors of Space, built in honor of the first artificial satellite, is the Museum of Cosmonautics. The exhibitions include photographic portraits of astronauts, models of spacesuits, samples of equipment from the first Mir space station, stands dedicated to the work of crews on the ISS and much more.
Rice. 3. At the Museum of Cosmonautics.
At VDNKh in the Cosmonautics and Aviation pavilion you can see a full-size model of the Mir station with mock-ups of modules, a piece of lunar soil, a real descent module of one of the Soyuz series spacecraft, and attend a communication session with the ISS. In front of the entrance there is a life-size model of the Vostok-1 ship, on which Yuri Gagarin took off to the stars.
A brief list of space museums can be found in the report “Cosmonautics Day” for primary school children (grades 1–3).
Cons of the profession
Of course, the astronaut profession for children is one of the most tempting and exciting. However, at the same time, you definitely need to understand what disadvantages it brings with it, and be prepared for them. This:
- long and hard work before the first flight;
- a large number of dangers during space travel;
- long separation from family and friends;
- harm caused to health by a long stay in weightlessness.
In addition, you should know that, regardless of the level of technological progress, it is impossible to create conditions on Earth that completely replicate those in space. Despite so much training, the astronaut, once in orbit, must be prepared for all the difficulties that may arise.
Pros of the profession
When you make a decision about your future specialty, it is very important to carefully study all its pros and cons. As for the work of an astronaut, of course, it has many advantages:
- you will see what very few people in the world have seen;
- you will take part in scientific experiments and may discover something new that will help the development of all humanity;
- get the opportunity to touch the future;
- you will look like a hero in the eyes of relatives and friends;
- see the stars with your own eyes.
All this is possible only for astronauts; no other profession allows you to see and learn so much. However, we should not forget that for all the romance of this work, it is associated with many dangers and difficulties.
Main specialties of astronauts
Today, as people go further and further in their exploration of the Universe, information about the profession of an astronaut is becoming more and more extensive. It no longer implies only the ability to control a spacecraft. If at the initial stage professional pilots became cosmonauts, then at the present stage this profession includes many other profiles. Currently, there are three main specialties for astronauts.
- A test cosmonaut who is the pilot of a spacecraft. His responsibilities include piloting the spacecraft, taking off and landing. He must also coordinate the operation of each system and any action of the crew. Test cosmonauts, as a rule, are military pilots.
- Cosmonaut-engineer. This is the person who is responsible for the correct operation of the entire technical system of the aircraft, coordinates all preparations before and after the flight, and also takes part in the development and testing of the latest technical systems. Information about the profession of an astronaut will be incomplete without mentioning the engineer, because it is he who is responsible for carrying out any repair work during space travel.
- An astronaut-researcher who must have a medical education. He is responsible for the health of each crew member. In addition, he conducts various experiments and conducts research into the behavior of living organisms in conditions of weightlessness. Long-term space missions are impossible without the participation of researchers.
Thus, this profession involves not only the skills of a pilot. An astronaut must be able to and know a lot. This job description includes many different specialties, each of which performs a critical task in achieving space travel.
