Celebrating the International Day of Human Space Flight

The United Nations (UN) celebrates the International Day of Human Space Flight on April 12 every year. This day is commemorated to remember the first human space flight on April 12, 1961 the start of the space era. The day also aims to promote aspirations to explore and maintain outer space for peaceful purposes.

The International Day of Human Space Flight was first observed in 2011. A few days before the 50th anniversary of the first human space flight by Yuri Gagarin, this day was proclaimed at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly on April 7, 2011.

According to the UN the International Day of Human Space Flight is “to celebrate each year at the international level the beginning of the space era for mankind, reaffirming the important contribution of space science and technology in achieving sustainable development goals and increasing the well-being of States and peoples, as well as ensuring the realisation of their aspiration to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes.”

Yuri Gagarin crewed the Vostok 1 space flight in 1961, making one orbit around the Earth over 108 minutes in the Vostok 3KA spacecraft launched by Vostok-K launch vehicle. On this day achievements in the world of space are remembered.

After Yuri Gagarin on June 16, 1963 Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to orbit the Earth. In 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot upon the surface of the moon.  On July 17, 1975  Apollo and Soyuz was the first joint US-Russian space flight. This event became the first international human mission in space.