National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is currently visiting Russia’s capital city Moscow for taking part in the International Security Forum as well as advance India-Russia bilateral ties.
Amidst this, NSA Doval received an exclusive tour of the famed vehicle of Yuri Gagarin, Russian cosmonaut and the first human in space, at the Valentina Tereshkova National Space Centre.
Valentina Tereshkova is the world’s first woman cosmonaut.
The Legendary Black Volga
Yuri Gagarin was bestowed with a black Volga (GAZ-21) after his monumental 1961 space-flight into outer space aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, which marked him as the first human to journey in space.
Gagarin’s black Volga became his official service car with plate 84-61 VG, allotted to him by the Cosmonaut Training Centre for his historic space expedition.
In addition, it became a beacon of national triumph for the Soviets, where the erstwhile USSR achieved maiden victory in its space race with USA during the Cold War era.
Space Diplomacy In Action
This visit highlights the burgeoning bilateral space cooperation between India and Russia.
NSA Doval was accompanied by Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on his visit to the National Space Centre, indicating the space tour’s significance in bilateral relations.
3 Questions Posed To Russian Cosmonauts
Doval also interacted with Russian cosmonauts stationed on the International Space Station, wherein he asked three questions.
He asked the cosmonauts, “What’s your first impression when you realise there is nothing under your feet?”
“I felt just how small we are compared to our planet,” replied one of the cosmonauts.
Doval proceeded, “Walking in space is physically demanding. How do cosmonauts prepare for it?”
The Russian cosmonauts responded, “The most difficult movements in the suit are the small ones with your fingers and hands.”
Lastly, Doval inquired about the effects of space on the brain, to which the cosmonauts informed that, “Our perception of the world in weightlessness is different.”
Doval On The Changing Global Order
NSA Doval’s visit is a testament to the shifting world order, where he postulated that, “Power is no longer concentrated in the hands of a few.”
