In 2016, we celebrate the 55th anniversary of the flight of Yuri Gagarin into Earth's orbit. It's time to learn more about how Russian cosmonautics developed, and at the same time - to tell the children about the work of brave astronauts. This will help book "Space", which recently appeared in the publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber."
The book that astronauts recommend: where Gagarin landed, how the orbital station is arranged and what happens in zero gravity
This book is based on an interview with journalist Dmitry Kostyukov with real astronauts. From it you will learn about life at the orbital station and trainings before flights, about famous scientists and brave pilots, about space traditions and the device of rockets.
Here are just a few interesting facts from the book:
- Gagarin landed on the left bank of the Volga, near the village of Smelovka. The first who met him on Earth were the wife of a local forest ranger Anna Akimovna Takhtarova, her granddaughter and calf.
- During the first flights, the cosmonauts communicated with "Earth" with the help of secret words, so that no one could guess how everything passes. For example, for Valentina Tereshkova, the password "Oak" means that the brake motor is working well, and "Elm" means that the engine does not work.
- The first spacewalk was not quite smooth. Having got out of the airlock, Aleksei Leonov pushed himself away, and he was swirling hard. The safety wire held the astronaut. But another problem was waiting for him: the suit suddenly swelled, and Leonov did not fit into the ship's hatch until he lowered the pressure.
- In weightlessness, much is changing. For example, muscles are weakening. And the distance between the vertebrae increases and people grow up. There was a case when a person became taller by 10.5 cm!
- The flight of an astronaut in space is like swimming under water. Therefore, in order to learn how to work in orbit, you need to train for a long time in the pool, in which the space station model is located. Cosmonauts in spacesuits repeatedly perform underwater the same actions as in outer space.
The encyclopedia turned out not just cognitive, but still very beautiful. It uses photographs of the author - he repeatedly took pictures of how training passes before flying, was present at the launch of rockets from Baikonur and the landing of spacecraft. Also on the pages you will find pictures from the archive of the cosmonaut, the hero of Russia Oleg Kotov.
In addition to the photos in the book, there are drawings, diagrams and comics. Original collages were manually assembled by illustrator Zina Surova. As a result, vertical and horizontal reversals have turned out, each of which is a real work of art. The magazine "Russian reporter" commented this: "This book could be an encyclopedia, if it were not an art object".
Despite the seriousness of the topic, the authors submit the material very easily and fun. Bored neither will an adult, nor a small reader! For example, Gagarin's journey is decorated in the form of a comic strip. As well as the output of astronaut Alexei Leonov in outer space.
Another important detail: the diagrams depicting the design of rockets, spacecraft, orbital stations and spacesuits are so simple and understandable that everyone will understand them.
The encyclopedia was first published in 2012 and won several awards at once: the diploma of the Contest "The Art of the Book", White Ravens - the choice of the International Children's Library in Munich, the "Start Up" award in the nomination "Book / Modern Russian non-fiction for children", special the prize of the competition "Gagarin and I" British Council. In February 2016, a new edition appeared - augmented and amended. The book by Dmitry Kostyukov and Zina Surova impressed even the pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Usachev. Perhaps this is the best recommendation. Here is what he wrote: "This encyclopedia of astronautics! What a huge amount of work has been done. How much information is here for inquisitive children's (and not only) minds! How many interesting details on each page. Very unusual form of material supply. Got a real pleasure. Oh, what a pity that in my childhood there was not such an interesting book. "