CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -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.

Detailed explanation-2: -Cosmonautics Day is observed annually on April 12 in Russia and other former Soviet Union nations.

Detailed explanation-3: -Krikalev was stranded on board the Mir during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. As the country that had sent him into space no longer existed, his return was delayed and he stayed in space for 311 consecutive days, twice as long as the mission had originally called for.

Detailed explanation-4: -A Cosmonaut Was Left Stranded In Space When The Soviet Union Collapsed. On May 18, 1991, cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev departed Earth for the Soviet space station Mir. While he was up there, the country that had sent him ceased to exist, making Krikalev – for a few months at least – the “last Soviet citizen".