Honoring Yuri Gagarin’s First Flight

Early next week will be the 50th anniversary of human spaceflight, which began with Yuri Gagarin and Vostok-1. To prepare for that auspicious day, Space.com has put together this handsome infographic breaking down the vital components of the flight and the craft. The chart brings up some interesting points, such as how Gagarin’s spacecraft did not separate correctly, and that he rode atop a modified ICBM — a telling indication of the Space Race’s relationship to the Cold War.

To find out more about the historic mission and to see the full-size infographic, be sure to keep reading below.

(via Geeks are Sexy)