It's the morning of April 12, 1961, several years into the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin sits silently on a slow-moving bus that makes its way toward the

Bikunur Czmodrome in Kazakhstan. Yuri tries to stay calm as his mind races. Just hours earlier,

Yuri learned he's about to be the first person to ever travel to space. As the bus stops on

the cosmodrome's launch path, Yuri gazes out the window at the massive Vostok rocket that will propel him into orbit.

Then the bus door opens and Uri steps outside, where he's greeted by the Vostok's lead designer.

The two men shake hands and then walk toward an elevator on the side of the rocket.

Together, Uri and the designer ride 15 stories into the sky toward the capsule sitting atop the rocket.

When the elevator stops, the designer leads Yuri to the capsule door and helps him climb inside.

There, Yuri attaches himself to his life support system and puts on his helmet. He and the designer exchange a farewell, and the capsule door closes.

Yuri waits alone in silence. The stakes of the mission are high.

If Yuri succeeds, he will be the first person

to ever travel to space. If the mission fails, Yuri will not live to tell the tale. But

Yuri doesn't have long to contemplate the risks. Soon he hears a voice on the radio, announcing

that the launch is a go. A loud, low rumbling rises from the ground below

as the capsule starts to vibrate. Uri holds his breath, and then he hears the word he's

been waiting for, ignition. The rocket fires, and Uri feels every muscle in his body tense.

He sits rigid in his seat until the rocket begins to lift off.

Yuri yells, let's go, as the rocket and capsule break away from the launch pad and leave

the earth behind. In 1961, the space race between the Soviets and the Americans is in full swing, and the Soviets are winning.

On the day after Yuri's launch, a reporter asks President John F. Kennedy if the Americans can ever catch up.

Kennedy responds, we are, I hope, going into other areas where we can be first,

...