Vostok 1 Descent Module

The capsule is currently on public display at the RKK Energiya museum in Korolyov, near Moscow. It is housed there alongside other early Soviet space artifacts from the Space Race.

No, Gagarin actually ejected from the capsule at an altitude of about 7 kilometers and parachuted to the ground. This was a secret kept for years because international aviation rules required a pilot to land with their craft to claim a recognized record.

During its single orbit on April 12, 1961, the capsule reached a maximum altitude of 327 kilometers. It orbited the Earth at a speed of roughly 27,000 kilometers per hour.

The Soviet Union specifically selected and trained male fighter pilots from the Air Force for the inaugural Vostok program flights. Valentina Tereshkova later became the first woman in space in 1963 aboard Vostok 6.