VOSTOK 1 MISSION TIMELINE

All times in Moscow Time (UTC +3)

5:30am: Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov wake up, eat breakfast and put on their space suits.

5:45am: The cosmonauts board the transport bus and drive to the launch site.

6:50am: The bus reaches the launchpad. A worker writes CCCP on Gagarin’s helmet so he isn’t mistaken for an enemy pilot on his return to Earth.

7:07am: Gagarin boards Vostok-1.

9:07am: Lift-off. After a few minutes the g-forces prevent Gagarin from speaking.

9:12am: Radio contact resumes. 10:02am: Radio Moscow announces the launch.

10:25am: Vostok-1 returns to the atmosphere. Shortly after, the instrument module fails to detach fully, sending the descent module into a spin.

10:35am: The craft stabilises after the connecting cord burns through.

10:49am: Gagarin ejects at 7km altitude and begins parachuting to the ground.

10:55am: The spacecraft lands, slowed by its own parachute.

10:57am: Gagarin lands 3km from the spacecraft and is greeted by the local workers.