On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space aboard the Soviet spacecraft Vostok 1. The successful mission lasted 108 minutes and orbited the Earth once, marking a milestone in the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States. Gagarins achievement was hailed as a major victory for Soviet space exploration. The flight made Gagarin a national hero in the Soviet Union and an international symbol of human achievement. His journey laid the foundation for future space exploration.