Apr. 12, 1961: Yuri Gagarin became the first man to go into space, making one complete orbit around the planet into the Vostok capsule. It was launched with the R-7 Semyorka (Russian: Р-7 Семёрка), officially the GRAU index 8K71, a Soviet missile developed during the Cold War, and the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile. In modified form, it launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit, and became the basis for the R-7 family which includes Sputnik, Luna, Molniya,