Blast from the past - Russian icebreakers sound horns to mark 65 years since Yuri Gagarin's first spaceflight

"Russian nuclear-powered and diesel-electric icebreakers sounded their horns on Sunday to mark the 65th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic first spaceflight. "This was a landmark event for the whole world. Our country achieved the impossible. We remember this and take pride in it. To mark the 65th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight, nuclear-powered icebreakers are sounding their horns. Let’s go!" said Vasili Gubkin, captain of the Arktika icebreaker. Roscosmos said eight nuclear-powered icebreakers operated by Atomflot and 14 diesel-electric vessels from Rosmorport took part in the commemoration. Gagarin’s Vostok 1 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 12, 1961. He spent 89 minutes orbiting Earth before ejecting and landing by parachute. In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared April 12 as International Human Space Flight Day."

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