Humans in Space

Outside of the Earth’s protective atmosphere, human survival is only possible with the aid of life support systems. Many of the conditions in space can be reproduced on the Earth, such as the high temperatures and low pressure, but the reduced gravity cannot be simulated. When Laika the dog was launched into space by the Soviet Union in Sputnik 2 in 1957, many scientists did not believe anything would survive in reduced gravity. Even up to the first human space flight in 1961, when Yuri Gagarin circled the globe in Vostok 1, there was still doubt whether humans could adapt to live and work in space. This is why Gagarin’s space flight was limited to just 108 minutes and a single orbit.