First Orbit

APRIL 12TH 1961 Yuri Gagarin is about to see what no other person has seen in the history of humanity...

the Earth from space.

before boarding his spacecraft he records a message for the people of the world.

Dear friends, known and unknown to me, my dear compatriots and all people of the world.

In the next few minutes a mighty spaceship willc arry me off into the distant spaces of the universe.

what can I say to you during these last minutes before the start? All my life now appears as a single beautiful moment to me.

All I have done and lived for has been done and lived for for this moment.

THE ATTIC ROOM PRESENTS

A FILM BY CHRISTOPHER RILEY

in association with YURI GAGARIN 50 AND YURI'S NIGHT

director of photgraphy PAOLO NESPOLI

film editor STEPHEN SLATER

composer PHILIP SHEPPARD

"Let's Go!..."

"DAWN this is CEDAR I'm feeling great, I'm continuing the flight. The G forces are slowly increasing."

"Wishing you a good flight."

"This is DAWN-1. Wishing you a good flight. Everything is normal."

"Thank you. goodbye. See you soon dear friend. Goodbye, see you soon."

FIRST ORBIT

"DAWN-1, this is CEDAR. The shroud separation has happened."

"Throught the window I see the earth. The ground is clearly discernible."

CEDAR this is DAWN 1, all is OK, the spacecraft is flying well. Over.

Understood. I see rivers and folds in the terrain. They are easily distingguishable.

The visibility is good. Everything is so clear through the "Vzor" (Window). Over.

CEDAR this is DAWN 1, everything is normal.

Understood. Reporting: I see Earth, the visibility is excellent.

Visibility is good. Over.

CEDAR this is DAWN. How are you feeling? This is DAWN. Over.

DAWN this is CEDAR, my condition is excellent. I'm continuing the flight.

The G forces are slightly increasing. Vibration. I can tolerate evrything well.

My condition is excellent. I feel alert. In the "Vzor" (window) I am watching the Earth

I can distinguish folds in the terrain... Snow... forest...

I'm feeling great. How are things going with you? Over.

"Here is our special news.

Today, the 12th April 1961.

The first cosmic spaceship named Vostok with a man on board was orbited around the Earth from the Soviet Union.

He is airman, Major Yuri Gagarin. An Airforce pilot.

A citizen of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic.

The start of the space multi stage rocket is reported to have been successful,

and after it gained the first cosmic speed, and separated from the last stage of the rocket carrier,

..the spaceship began its free flight on an orbit around the Earth."

DAWN this is CEDAR.

The second stage has shut off.

Over.

CEDAR this is DAWN 1. Everything that should be is working.

The final stage... everything is normal. Over.

Understood. I can hear it starting. I can feel it's working. I feel great.

I can see Earth, visiblity is good. Over.

CEDAR, CEDAR, this is DAWN. Well done, everything is going great. OK.

This is DAWN. Over.

DAWN this is CEDAR, I can see clouds over the land... small, cumulus, and the shadows of them.

Beautiful!... Beautiful... How do you read? Over.

According to preliminary data

the revolution of the spaceship around the Earth takes place within 89.1 minutes.

Its lowest point from the Earth is a hundred and seventy five kilometre.

Its highest, three hundred and two kilometre.

"CEDAR this is DAWN, CEDAR this is DAWN. We can hear you perfectly. Continue the flight."

The flight is continuing well The G forces are increasing slowly...insignificantly.

I am coping well. vibrations are slight. I am feeling great.

Through the Vzor I can see Earth... It's increasing covered by clouds. Over.

CEDAR this is DAWN. everything is going fine. We understood you. We can hear you perfectly.

This is DAWN. Over.

"The condition of the space flyer Major Yuri Gagarin…

... during the launching of the space ship Vostok to orbit was normal,

and at present he is feeling well."

Everything is going well. I can see Earth.

I see the horizon through the Vzor.

The horizon has slightly shifted towards my legs.

CEDAR CEDAR this is DAWN. CEDAR this is DAWN.

Everything is going well. How do you hear? How are you feeling. This is DAWN. Over.

DAWN this is CEDAR, I can hear you perfectly. I am feeling great. The flight is continuing well.

Through the Vzor I can see Earth. The visibility is good. Everything is visible and distinct.

Some of the area is covered with cumulus clouds.

We are continuing the flight. Everything is normal. Over.

CEDAR this is DAWN, CEDAR this is DAWN. Understood. Well done.

Good communication. Continue in the same spirit. This is DAWN. Over.

Understood. Everything is working perfectly. Everything is perfectly working. We continue on!

The flight is going well.

The third stage is workig.

The TV light is working. I'm feeling great.

I'm feeling alert.

"The angle of the declination of the plane of the orbit to the equator is 65 degrees 4 minutes.

The weight of the spaceship with its space pilot is four tonnes, 725 kilogrammes,

without the weight of the final stage of the rocket carrier.

Two way communication has been established and are been maintained with the space flyer major Yuri Gagarin."

Now the Earth is being covered more and more by clouds. Cumulus clouds. It's being covered by nimbo stratus clouds.

It's sort of a film over the Earth. Already the Earth's surface is almost Not Visible.

Interesting... yes... now it's open. Folds of the mountains... forests.

DAWN 1, DAWN 1, I can hear you very faintly. I am feeling good.

I am alert. I'm continuing the flight.

Everything is going well. The spaceship is working normally. Over. I am alert. I'm continuing the flight.

Everything is going well. The spaceship is working normally. Over.