Vostok 1
1961
The first crewed spacecraft. On 12 April 1961 Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth once aboard Vostok 1 - a 2.3 m sphere with an escape tower.
Specs
Flight 12 Apr 1961, 06:07-07:55 UTC (108 min); 1 orbit; capsule ~4.7 t; Gagarin was strapped in - the capsule opened only after landing.
Why it matters
The first human to see Earth from space with their own eyes. The photos from that era - a blue sphere wrapped in a thin line of atmosphere - are the most powerful evidence of what our planet actually is.