How old was the youngest person to go into space? The story of Gherman Titov, the “forgotten cosmonaut”

The name of Yuri Gagarin He was inscribed in history, by becoming the first human being to reach space. However, few know the German Titov. From there they call him the “forgotten cosmonaut”.

Titov was the second Soviet to be in orbit, and for many the second person on the entire planet to do so. The Americans claim Alan Shepard, but he only starred in a suborbital flight in 1961.

Gagarin and Titov were the two cosmonauts designated for the first launch into orbit, scheduled for April 12, 1961. The decision of the Soviet Union authorities targeted Gagarin, since he was older and had more charisma than the introverted Titov.

Furthermore, Gagarin’s origins were more humble, being the son of peasants, while Titov was the son of teachers. All this would serve for Soviet propaganda.

The glory belongs to Gagarin, with all the media attention for him. Already when Titov arrived in space aboard Vostok 2, on August 9, 1961, He was “only” the second person to do so.

The barriers broken by the cosmonaut Gherman Titov

However, Gherman Titov broke several records, including that of youngest man to be in orbit. When the mission was accomplished, the cosmonaut born in Verjneie Zhilino, Altai, Russia (1935), was barely 25 years old. He would turn 26 in September of that year.

Also:

• He surpassed Gagarin’s two hours in space, reaching 25 hours (17 orbits in total).
• controlled vehicle controls, while Gagarin was under the control of the automatic pilot.
• Was the first person to suffer from space sickness, which generated the rejection of several characters from the Soviet Union, seeing it as a symbol of weakness. It was the mentality of the time, in addition to the ignorance, because this would be common in future space travel.

After the 1961 achievement, Titov, although introverted, had several problems with his superiors. He loved alcohol, women and cars, suffering several accidents.

The “forgotten cosmonaut” would be on fewer propaganda trips than his partner and friend Gagarin, but everything was in the background when the legendary Soviet hero died on a flight, in 1968.

From pilot to leader

Gagarin’s death prompted the Soviet authorities to protect Titov, so they prohibited any other type of risk. Thus, the youngest person to go into space did not lead another mission again, remaining only as an instructor and director.

After being part of the Soviet space program as one of its heads and reaching the rank of colonel in the Air Force, he devoted himself to politics. After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Titov served as a Duma deputy for the Communist Party.

Married and father of two daughters, Titov died in September 2000 in Moscow, when he was just 65 years old. He was in a sauna and suffered a heart attack.

In life he received several distinctions, including that of Hero of the USSR, the Order of Lenin (twice) and the Order of the October Revolution.