International Day of Human Space Flight

What Is the International Day of Human Space Flight?

April 12 is the International Day of Human Space Flight. On April 12, 1961, the Soviet spacecraft Vostok 1 lifted off with Yuri Gagarin on board, achieving the first human space flight in history. The United Nations General Assembly declared this international day in resolution A/RES/65/271, adopted on April 7, 2011.

Vostok 1: Humanity's First Space Flight

Gagarin's flight was a short journey that took him once around the Earth and back.

• Flight time: About 1 hour and 48 minutes (108 minutes) from launch to the spacecraft's landing, during which he completed one orbit of the Earth.
• Automatic control: Because no one knew how weightlessness would affect the human body, the spacecraft's orientation was controlled mainly by automatic systems.
• Landing by parachute: During the return, Gagarin ejected from the capsule at an altitude of about 7 km and came down to the ground by parachute.
• The UN resolution: The resolution was adopted on April 7, 2011, just before the 50th anniversary of the flight. The day celebrates the beginning of the space era and reaffirms the peaceful use of outer space and the role of space science in sustainable development.

"The Earth Was Blue" and the Same Day 20 Years Later

In Japan, the words most widely associated with Gagarin are "The Earth was blue." The first flight of the US Space Shuttle Columbia also took place on April 12, 1981, exactly 20 years later. That launch had been delayed two days from its original schedule, so the matching date was a coincidence. The first Japanese person to go to space was Toyohiro Akiyama, then a TBS reporter, who flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz in December 1990.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Look up when the International Space Station (ISS) will pass over your area and watch the night sky
• Look back on Gagarin's flight and the history of the Space Shuttle through books or videos
• Find everyday things that rely on satellites, such as weather forecasts, map apps, and car navigation
• Ask family or coworkers what they would do if they could go to space

A Day to Remember the Start of the Space Age

Gagarin's trip around the Earth lasted less than two hours. More than 60 years after that first step, people now stay in space for long periods. On April 12, take a moment to remember the day humanity first left the planet, and turn your thoughts to the night sky and the space beyond.