The caravan connection is tenuous, we know, but today marks the 50th anniversary of the first human being ever to travel into space in a self-contained life-support capsule. Which is a bit like a caravan, at least conceptually…
Anyway, whether or not Yuri Gargarin carried the cosmonautical equivalent of an Aquaroll for his history-making 108-minute orbit of the Earth on 12 April 1961 in the Vostok 3KA-3 capsule is largely beside the point.
The real reason for marking the occasion here is to draw your attention to a fascinating film that combines new footage shot from the International Space Station with oriental audio from Gagarin’s mission and a musical score by composer Philip Sheppard.
The film is called First Orbit and is available to watch in its entirety on YouTube. So, in the name of that pioneering spirit that leads us to venture into the unknown (or at least pitch up at dodgy campsites that looked better in the brochure), we also present it below.
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