DEPARTURE TO SPACE
First, not known to the world and providing it under secret conditions, a rocket lifted up on April 12 1961 in the Central Asian steppes of Kazhakstan, there where the Russian cosmodrome 'Baikonur' is. If this flight hasn't carried a special cargo to space, it weren't been published as one of the markable steps of human mankind. At the top of the rocket, there was the space ship 'Vostok 1' with Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Yuri penetrated not only the first time as a human space, he orbited the earth also in 108 minutes and landed safely by parachute near the cities of Saratov and Engels. Now, the Russians had shown with pride, that it was possible to bring a man into space and safely back to Earth! At that time, certainly not just an adventure! The first American in space was Alan Shepard, on May 5 1961. Aboard Mercury 'Freedom 7' he performed a ballistic flight to space and reached a altitude of 187km, the trip was over after 15 minutes. The first American in orbit, however, was much later, John Glenn on board Mercury "Friendship 7" on 20 February 1962, when he orbited the Earth three times.
Now, 50 years past by since Yuri's flight. SPACE TRAVELLERS is providing since 2005 very special tours to the cosmodrome Baikonur in the Kazakh steppe. Soyuz will rise up in the sky of Kazakhstan again. You will take part at all of the launch preparations, what will begin if the Soyuz integration hall. The doors will be open early in the morning, and the Soyuz will carry out on a train to the launchpad. You will follow the train to the pad. Before, you visited world legendary Star City and you will see the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. You will be ready to watch the liftoff of the Soyuz rocket only 1.5km away from the pad, nowhere else on the world you will have such an opportuntiy to come closer. You will be a part of the history, when the Astronauts and Cosmonauts will head into direction to met spacestation ISS two days later, and you will follow on in the flight control centre of Koroljov the docking procedure. But everywhere you will feel the presence of Yuri Gagarin and Sergey Koroljov. Both man made it first possible; the encounter of mankind with space.
You can choose between two special programs:
Since 1998 the first module of the International Space Station, the largest project of manned space flight since the moon flights of the Americans between 1968 and 1972, is in space. 16 nations are able to put there their scientific know how together, to settle up the greatest outgard of mankind. Since then the ISS is further developed and build, and since 2011 its ready.
This will begin at the Russian cosmodrome "Baikonur" in Kazhakstan. From this cosmodrome, the first satellite of the World - "Sputnik" was launched (1957), and also the first human space flight of Yuri Gagarin on April 12 2012 took place there. From this cosmodrome there were launched over 1.600 spacecrafts to space! 
Specialists from space technology and history will accompany you around the clock on your trip. Locally specialists are beside you, who will answer you the difficult questions.