30+ Yuri Gagarin Quotes That Will Send You To The Stars

Georgia Stone
Dec 12, 2023 By Georgia Stone
Originally Published on Jan 21, 2021
Yuri Gagarin quotes from the first person to space travel are inspiring.
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Read time: 7.9 Min

The first person to orbit earth in a spacecraft was Major Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin.

This Soviet pilot and cosmonaut was the first man to travel to space and first person to orbit the earth in his space flight 'Vostok 1' on 12 April 1961.

The significant achievement of Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, the Soviet cosmonaut, brought him celebrity status, several titles, medals, and even the highest honor as first cosmonaut in the Russian cosmonaut story, 'Hero Of The Soviet Union'.

As the first human in space on 12 April 1961, the Russian astronaut, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin gave several accounts of his outer space experiences, resulting in many famous quotes and sayings. For example, before the Soviet pilot and cosmonaut, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin started his mission to be the first human to journey into outer space, he said, "Poyekhali!

", which means "Let's go!"

Although there are claims of Yuri Gagarin quotes about God saying, "I see no God up here," there is no record of this in the official transcript from 12 April 1961.

It is also speculated that "I see no God up here" originated from Nikita Khrushchev's speech about the anti-religious propaganda of the state, rather than from Gagarin's observations of outer space.

The Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who was the first human in space on 12 April 1961 had plans for plenty more missions, but tragically Yuri Gagarin died on 27 March 1968 when the MiG-15UTI he was in crashed during a routine training. The exact cause of the crash that resulted in Yuri Gagarin's death remains unclear.

We've put together a list of Yuri Gagarin quotes from the first human to journey into outer space on 12 April 1961 for you. If you like these Yuri Gagarin quotes and are looking for more inspiration on starry quotes, you can check out our articles on [outer space quotes], as well as [astronaut quotes].

Quotes From Yuri Gagarin Outer Space Speech

Here are some Yuri Gagarin quotes from the first speech he gave after the Yuri Gagarin flight journey on 16 April 1961.  

1. "The view of the Earth from an altitude of 175-300 km is very sharp. The Earth's surface looks approximately the same as seen from a high-flying jet plane. Clearly distinctive are large mountain ranges, large rivers, large forest areas, shorelines and islands."

-Yuri Gagarin.

2. "Our technique is very reliable and I, as well as my comrades, scientists, engineers and technicians did not doubt for a minute its successful completion."

-Yuri Gagarin.

3. "My state of being during the entire period of weightlessness was superb."

-Yuri Gagarin.

4. "I attended grade school, then a manual school in Lyubertsy near Moscow. After that, I went to the Saratov Industrial Technicum to become a smelting designer. However, my oldest dream was to become a pilot."

-Yuri Gagarin.

5. "During the active portion, when the spaceship was injected into orbit, the effects of gravitation, vibration and noise, as well as other factors of the cosmic flight, did not have any bearing on my condition."

-Yuri Gagarin.

6. "I am very happy and immensely thankful to our party and our government for entrusting me with this flight. I have completed this flight in the name of our Fatherland, in the name of the great Soviet people, and the communist party of the Soviet Union."

-Yuri Gagarin.

7. "In my own opinion, the effect of weightlessness has no influence on the normal state of the organism and on the physiological functions of a human organism."

-Yuri Gagarin.

8. "Before the flight I was in good health and felt very well. I had complete assurance in the success of this flight."

-Yuri Gagarin.

9. "I would like to praise here our Soviet designers, engineers and technicians, as well as the entire Soviet nation, for creating the remarkable spaceship 'Vostok', its remarkable equipment and powerful carrier rocket which has placed such a huge spaceship in orbit."

-Yuri Gagarin.

10. "I was able to work productively in accordance with the program which was assigned for this flight."

-Yuri Gagarin.

11. "The clouds which cover the Earth's surface are very visible, and their shadow on the Earth can be seen distinctly. The color of the sky is completely black. The stars on this black background seem to be somewhat brighter and clearer."

-Yuri Gagarin.

12. "Personally, I would like to fly some more into space. I like flying. My biggest wish is to fly toward Venus, toward Mars, which is really flying."

-Yuri Gagarin.

13. "The exit from the Earth's shadow is also rapid and sharp. Because I was prepared for it, the influence of the cosmic flight factors were endured very well. Now I feel excellent."

-Yuri Gagarin.

14. "I am immensely glad that my beloved fatherland was the first in history to penetrate cosmos. The first airplane, the first satellite, the first cosmic spaceship and the first manned flight into space, these are the stages on the great road of my fatherland toward the conquest of the mysteries of nature."

-Yuri Gagarin.

There's a lot to learn from the first man in space.

Inspirational Quotes From The First Man To Orbit Earth

Here are some inspirational Yuri Gagarin quotes from the first human to journey into outer space.  

15. “Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it!”

-Yuri Gagarin.

16. "Nothing will stop us. The road to the stars is steep and dangerous. But we're not afraid."

-Yuri Gagarin.

17. “The path of a cosmonaut is not an easy, triumphant march to glory, as some people make it out to be. You have to put in a lot of work, a lot of sweat, and have to get to know the meaning not just of joy but also of grief, before being allowed in the spacecraft cabin.”

-Yuri Gagarin.

18. "I am a simple Soviet man. I was born March 9, 1934, to the family of a peasant. The place of my birth was in the Smolensk region."

-Yuri Gagarin.

19. “I see Earth! It is so beautiful.”

-Yuri Gagarin.

20. “Spaceflights can’t be stopped. This isn’t the work of any one man or even a group of men. It is a historical process which mankind is carrying out in accordance with the natural laws of human development.”

-Yuri Gagarin.

21. "I could have gone on flying through space forever."

-Yuri Gagarin.

22. "We plan to fly some more and intend to conquer cosmic space as it should be done."

-Yuri Gagarin.

23. “Here I am, a grown man and a prospective cosmonaut, playing with a golden ball and holding a little flask of water to drink from. If only my little girl could see her daddy with these toys.”

-Yuri Gagarin.

24. "Looking at the earth from afar you realize it is too small for conflict and just big enough for cooperation."

-Yuri Gagarin.

25. "When they saw me in my space suit and the parachute dragging alongside as I walked, they started to back away in fear. I told them, don't be afraid, I am a Soviet like you, who has descended from space and I must find a telephone to call Moscow!"

-Yuri Gagarin.

This cosmonaut in Russian history commented on the beauty of the earth during his mission.

Quotes About Space By Cosmonaut Gagarin

Here are some Yuri Gagarin quotes about space from astronaut Yuri Gagarin in space.

26. "When I left the Earth's shadow, the Sun's rays penetrated the Earth's atmosphere. At this point, the Earth's horizon was dark blue, violet and finally black."

-Yuri Gagarin.

27. "To be the first to enter the cosmos, to engage, single-handed, in an unprecedented duel with nature-could one dream of anything more?"

-Yuri Gagarin.

28. "What an indescribable gamut of colors! Just like the paintings of the artist Nicholas Roerich."

-Yuri Gagarin.

29. "I saw for the first time the earth's shape. I could easily see the shores of continents, islands, great rivers, folds of the terrain, large bodies of water... the feelings which filled me I can express with one word-joy."

-Yuri Gagarin.

30. "I was in a cloud of fire rushing toward Earth."

-Yuri Gagarin.

31. "Obviously, the spaceship passed over the ocean during this period of time. If the spaceship would have passed over large cities, then I would have probably been able to see the lights of those cities. The stars were well visible."

-Yuri Gagarin.

32. "The Earth is surrounded by a characteristic blue halo. This halo is particularly visible at the horizon. From a light-blue coloring, the sky blends into a beautiful deep blue, then dark blue, violet, and finally complete black."

-Yuri Gagarin.

33. "The transition into the Earth's shadow took place very rapidly. Darkness comes instantly and nothing can be seen."

-Yuri Gagarin.

34. "The landing proceeded successfully and my presence here demonstrates the success of the systems."

-Yuri Gagarin.

35. "I am watching the Earth. The visibility is good. I feel well and cheerful."

-Yuri Gagarin.

36. "Rays were blazing through the atmosphere of the earth, the horizon became bright orange, gradually passing into all the colors of the rainbow."

-Yuri Gagarin.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 25+ Yuri Gagarin famous quotes that will send you to the stars, then why not take a look at our [Buzz Aldrin Quotes], or for something different, check out our [space exploration quotes].

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Written by Georgia Stone

Bachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art

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Georgia StoneBachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art

Georgia is an experienced Content Manager with a degree in French and Film Studies from King's College London and Bachelors degree from Université Paris-Sorbonne. Her passion for exploring the world and experiencing different cultures was sparked during her childhood in Switzerland and her year abroad in Paris. In her spare time, Georgia enjoys using London's excellent travel connections to explore further afield.

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