Every year on April 12 we celebrate Yuri's Night on the day that Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth as the first human back on April 12, 1961. It was a pivot point in history, together with the launch of Sputnik on October 4, 1957. The world would never look the same. The cold war took to Space as a race to the Moon was engaged by the Super powers of the world. A race that was won by the US on July 22, 1969 as Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon. A race that also sparked a technological revolution across the board. The Soviets disengaged from the Moon and became masters in Space stations. An heritage we still enjoy from today in the shape of the International Space Station ISS.
The crew of Expedition 27 celebrates Yuri’s Night aboard the International Space Station in 2011