Mankind has already attained several milestones in the field of modern space exploration. We have put several humans on the surface of the moon, sent unmanned space probes to foreign planets, and are currently even making plans to permanently colonize other celestial bodies.
In view of present and future achievements, however, we should not forget that the foundations of manned space flight were not laid out of pure scientific interest, but rather because of the political turmoil of the time.
In order to prove to their hated adversary that their own nation possessed the most advanced technology of all time, the United States and the Soviet Union showed little regard for casualties during the Cold War.
We'd like to join you in taking a look at a somewhat lesser-known side of the "race to space." We take a look at the stories of some Soviet cosmonauts, which raise the critical question of how much human suffering is acceptable for the sake of technical progress.
Additional:
1. Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov (16 March 1927 – 24 April 1967) was a Soviet test pilot, aerospace engineer, and cosmonaut. In October 1964, he commanded Voskhod 1, the first spaceflight to carry more than one crew member. He became the first Soviet cosmonaut to fly in space twice when he was selected as the solo pilot of Soyuz 1, its first crewed test flight. A parachute failure caused his Soyuz capsule to crash into the ground after re-entry on 24 April 1967, making him the first human to die in a space flight.
2. On June 16, 1963, aboard Vostok 6, Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to travel into space. After 48 orbits and 71 hours, she returned to earth, having spent more time in space than all U.S. astronauts combined to that date.
But, was Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova the first woman to travel into space?
The Torre Bert Recordings.
The Judica-Cordiglia brothers are two former amateur radio operators who made audio recordings that allegedly supported the conspiracy theory that the Soviet space program had covered up cosmonaut deaths in the 1960s.
On May 19, 1961, the Torre Bert listening station ( Judica-Cordiglia brothers) in northern Italy purportedly picked up a transmission of a woman’s voice, sounding confused and frightened as her craft began to break up upon reentry.
Is this the first woman in space?
The supposed recording of a Soviet space flight in 1961. In it, a Russian woman can be heard complaining about the increasing temperature inside the craft before it is destroyed attempting re-entry.
This was recorded by the Judica-Cordiglia brothers in 1961. It is reportedly one of many transmissions intercepted by the two brothers that prove the existence of the lost cosmonauts.
The following is a translation of what the woman is saying:
five…four…three …two…one…one two…three…four…five… come in… come in… come in… LISTEN…LISTEN! …COME IN! COME IN… COME IN… TALK TO ME! TALK TO ME!… I AM HOT!… I AM HOT! WHAT?… FORTYFIVE?… WHAT?… FORTYFIVE?… FIFTY?… YES…YES…YES… BREATHING… BREATHING… OXYGEN… OXYGEN… I AM HOT… (THIS) ISN’T THIS DANGEROUS?… IT’S ALL… ISN’T THIS DANGEROUS?… IT’S ALL… YES…YES…YES… HOW IS THIS? WHAT?… TALK TO ME!… HOW SHOULD I TRANSMIT? YES…YES…YES… WHAT? OUR TRANSMISSION BEGINS NOW… FORTYONE… THIS WAY… OUR TRANSMISSION BEGINS NOW… FORTYONE… THIS WAY… OUR TRANSMISSION BEGINS NOW… FORTYONE… YES… I FEEL HOT… I FEEL HOT… IT’S ALL… IT’S HOT… I FEEL HOT… I FEEL HOT… I FEEL HOT… … I CAN SEE A FLAME!… WHAT?… I CAN SEE A FLAME!… I CAN SEE A FLAME!… I FEEL HOT… I FEEL HOT… THIRTYTWO… THIRTYTWO… FORTYONE… FORTYONE AM I GOING TO CRASH?… YES…YES… I FEEL HOT!… I FEEL HOT!… I WILL REENTER!… I WILL REENTER… I AM LISTENING!… I FEEL HOT!…