The 61st anniversary of the fabled first flight of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin will prompt mixed feelings. Celebrated every year as the International Day of Human Space Flight, April 12th will be unique in many ways.
Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Myanmar, economic collapse in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, severe drought in Madagascar, and the COVID-19 global pandemic have put tremendous pressure on international trade and relations. Not many human pursuits can take us out of such dire circumstances; human space flight is one.
The profession of astronautics is strong on marvel and inspiration. These attributes go far beyond national borders and the agencies that carry them out. Until human space flight becomes as mundane as suburban travel, it will motivate people worldwide. Yuri Gagarin is celebrated as much by the Americans as by the Russians. Black trainee astronaut Edward Dwight is an inspiration not only to African Americans but also to native Africans. Astronauts of Indian descent Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams are muses to Americans and the Indian populace, including the vast ‘desi’ diaspora.
