Received in an email from Lt Col Virginia Nelson - PCR Director of AE:
April 12 (this Tuesday) is the 50th anniversary of a human's first space voyage. On April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin, a Russian cosmonaut, launched into space aboard a Vostok spacecraft. American Alan Shepard became the second human in space less than a month later on May 5, 1961.
April 12 is also the 30th anniversary of the first space shuttle flight. Columbia launched April 12, 1981 on the first orbital test flight. NASA is expected to announce this Tuesday which museums will be receiving the retiring space shuttles for display.
This week would be a good time to reflect how far the space program has come . What will the next big leap forward be?