太空人尤裡·加加林。 能源火箭航天集團（Rocket and Space Corporation Energia）資料圖片
慶祝人類空間時代的開始：2011年4月7日，聯大通過第A/RES/65/271號決議，宣布4月12日為載人空間飛行國際日。 1961年4月12日是俄羅斯出生的蘇聯公民尤裡·加加林先生首次實現載人空間飛行的日子，這一歷史事件為造福全人類的空間探索開創了新的途徑。http://www.un.org/zh/events/humanspaceflightday/
Celebrating the beginning of the space era for mankind
The General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/65/271 of 7 April 2011, declared 12 April as the International Day of Human Space Flight
12 April 1961 was the date of the first human space flight, carried out by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen. This historic event opened the way for space exploration for the benefit of all humanity.
The General Assembly expressed its deep conviction of the common interest of mankind in promoting and expanding the exploration and use of outer space, as the province of all mankind, for peaceful purposes and in continuing efforts to extend to all States the benefits derived there from.
http://www.un.org/en/events/humanspaceflightday/
艾倫·謝潑德Credits: NASA
「自由7號」飛船。Credits:NASA
在加加林太空飛行的三個星期後，1961年5月5日，艾倫·謝潑德成為首位進入太空的美國人。艾倫·謝潑德乘坐的是一架由他命名為「自由7號」的水星飛船。這是一次15分鐘的短暫飛行，但這一「小步」通向許多「巨大的飛躍」。謝潑德於1971年1月31日至2月9日作為阿波羅14號航天飛船的指揮官進行了第二次太空飛行。這次任務登上了月球。他成為第一個在月球上打高爾夫的人。
Three weeks after Gagarin's flight, on May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Alan Shepard flew aboard a Mercury spacecraft he named Freedom 7. It was a short, 15-minute flight into space, but it was a "small step" that has led to many "giant leaps."
Shepard made his second space flight as spacecraft commander on Apollo 14, January 31 - February 9, 1971. This mission went to the moon. He became the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/shepards-mercury-flight-was-first-step-on-the-long-journey-to-mars