This book sheds new light on an amazing history only partially known in the west: Russian
cosmonautics and its spectacular record. From Laika the cosmonaut dog to Yuri Gagarin the
first man in space to Valentina Tereshkova the first woman in space to the first spacewalk
the Soviets set many goals that they subsequently achieved. But there are shadows behind these
headline moments moments involving human loss some of which are known others only rumored.
Questions remain such as: · What was the flying coffin? · What secrets are still hidden inside
the Russian archives despite two rounds of declassification? · Why didn't Marina Popovich
(Madame Mig) become a cosmonaut? · What problems made it necessary to film Valentina
Tereshkova's return? · What (scientific) hypotheses exist concerning Gagarin's mysterious
disappearance? The author addresses all of these issues with help from the documents now
available. This book will benefit a broad readership from interested laypersons to graduate
and undergraduate students to those who merely enjoy good history-based stories.
