By Alice Gorman, Associate Professor in Archaeology and Space Studies, Flinders University
Sixty years ago, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel in space when he completed his historic orbit of Earth on April 12, 1961.
It was an extraordinary achievement, but created a dilemma for a world embroiled in the Cold War. Gagarin’s spaceflight heralded a vision of a unified planet.
However, in the battle between communism and capitalism, space technology was also a weapon to demonstrate the superiority of one political system over the other.
The Soviet Union was winning the battle. In 1957, it orbited the first satellite with Sputnik 1. Two years later, the Luna 2 probe was the first human artefact to make contact with the Moon. In February 1961 the Russians launched the Venera 1 probe towards Venus.
Yuri Gagarin s boomerang: the tale of the first person to return from space, and his brief encounter with Aussie culture
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Opinion: Fairly sharing the burden is necessary for climate success
10 Apr, 2021 10:00 PM
5 minutes to read
We need price signals - or other Government support - that give the market advantage to climate-friendly materials like timber and laminated veneer lumber. Photo / 123RF
We need price signals - or other Government support - that give the market advantage to climate-friendly materials like timber and laminated veneer lumber. Photo / 123RF
NZ Herald
OPINION:
There has been much criticism of the proposals of the Climate Change Commission by the New Zealand Initiative, a market-oriented think tank. The NZ Initiative says that just sticking with New Zealand s
The time capsule was constructed from spare copper plates. Image: Australian Academy of Science.
A time capsule containing Fellows’ messages to the future has been placed under the copper roof of the Shine Dome
The capsule contains a letter from the President of the Academy, Professor John Shine, reflections of Fellows and staff of the Academy, newspaper front pages documenting the tumultuous events of 2020 and other historical documents, including the complete genome of SARS-CoV-2.
The Shine Dome was heavily damaged in January 2020 in a massive hailstorm. Restoration began in November 2020, with a new copper layer being laid over a timber frame, with waterproofing materials between. The original copper remains beneath these layers.
Gibralter Back to Normal, US-1 in 4 Vaccinated, World Stats
GUARDIAN (UK) Gibraltar has become one of the first places in the world to vaccinate the bulk of its adult population against Covid-19, allowing virus restrictions to be lifted and life to almost return to normal.
AFP report that since the end of March, masks are only required in enclosed public spaces, shops and on public transport. And a curfew between midnight and five am was also lifted, boosting business at bars and restaurants which only reopened on 1 March after months of restrictions.
Popular spots are once again buzzing with people enjoying a meal or a drink. Gino Jimenez, chairman of the Gibraltar Catering Association who also runs a popular eatery, said it was “especially gratifying” to see vulnerable seniors finally “out of their homes and safe”.
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