Russia celebrates 50th anniversary of first human spaceflight

On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union made history as they sent 27-year-old Yuri Gagarin into space in their Vostok rocket, as he became the first man to go into outer space. This was a major achievement as the Soviet Union had outwitted the United States in space technology.Gagarin was crammed inside a tiny capsule on a rocket that blasted off from Kazakhstan. Gagarin completed the first ever orbit of Earth in the voyage that lasted 108 minutes before landing back on Earth. As 50 years passed, fireworks lit up the sky in Moscow as Yuri Gagarins flight into space was celebrated. A concert was dedicated to Gagarin and a 50-gun salute was offered.Hundreds of people attended the concert along with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.