Unknown to many today--August 6,2011---marks the 50th anniv of another important mission related to human space flight.
Any idea what this could be?
It is the 50th anniv of the second Russian to fly into space--Gherman Titov.
Titov's story is somewhat like Buzz Aldrin's. Both were ``second'' in their accomplishments and both did not hesitate to hide their disappointment that they were not the first. Aldrin was open about his feelings, while Titov hung his head as the official decision was announced. It was decided that Yuri Gagarin would be the first man to fly.
In a TV interview to Russian Channel One in 2010, Titov's wife, Tamara Titova, said: ``Of course he suffered that it was not him, Still he was ready to carry out the mission.'' ``There was just one seat in the spaceship, so we (Gagarin and he) could not go to together, Titov told his interviewers.
Titov was launched on August 6,1961, at Baikonour, and his flight lasted 25 hours and three minutes. His call sign was Eagle. Do you know that when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down on the surface of the moon, he message was the ``Eagle Has Landed.'' Any possible links between Titov's call sign and the Armstrong's message!!!!!!!!!!!!!?
Though Titov was the second Russian to fly in space and the third globally--Gagarin (April 12,1961), Alan Shepherd (May 5,1961) and Titov (August 6, 1961), he notched up a number of firsts to his credit. To cite a few examples, Titov was the youngest man to fly in space--he was 26--, first person to photograph earth from space, first to sleep in space and the first to suffer space sickness which described as ghastly.
He dedicated his flight to the 22nd Congress of Soviet Communist Party .
Russia is observing the 50th anniv of Titov's flight by opening a memorial museum in Titov's village, Polkovnikovo, in the Altai region of Southern Siberia.
``Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM)'' will attempt to procure books by Titov.
BMM hopes it succeeds as it was with Gagarin's autobiography--``Road To The Stars.''
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