Peering into the vastness of space, these astronauts, scientists and engineers help find the answers to the mysteries of our very existence
On April 12, 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin pierced the heavens, becoming the first man to travel into space, a historic feat that ushered in the Space Age. Today, Gagarin’s one-hour-and-20-minute orbit of the Earth on board Vostok 1 is remembered on the International Day of Human Space Flight to highlight the importance of space exploration in humanity's collective progress. The journey into the universe aids scientific discovery and the advancement of new technologies such as robotics and material science. Space exploration inspires young people to join the ranks of scientists, engineers and astronauts who will continue our endless quest for discovery. Simply put, we look to the skies to understand the very nature of human existence—what could be a grander mission than that?
Also read: The transport leaders who are literally moving us
Since Gagarin’s flight, many more explorers have journeyed into space, among them Asian astronauts and cosmonauts, from Phạm Tuân, who is Vietnamese and became the first person from an Asian country to travel into space when he spent eight days on the Salyut-6 space station in 1980; to Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, the Chinese astronauts who flew aboard Shenzhou 15 in November 2022. There have even been space tourists, such as Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano from Japan, who completed a 12-day journey to the International Space Station via space travel company Space Adventures in 2021.
Now read: Tatler's Guide to Visiting Outer Space
Apart from spacewalkers, there are the scientists and engineers who work behind the scenes—two of which are Malaysian honourees from our Asia’s Most Influential list. Astrophysicist Madya Dr Nur Adlyka Ainul Annuar analysed data from NASA’s X-ray telescope, NuSTAR, and discovered a supermassive black hole near the Milky Way. Previously hidden by thick clouds of gas and dust, the discovery builds on our knowledge of how galaxies develop.
Meanwhile, Florence Tan helps lead two departments at NASA as the chair of the Small Spacecraft Coordination Group and deputy chief technologist of the Science Mission Directorate. Tan, who holds a Master of Science in electrical engineering, provides guidance on cross-agency initiatives, small spacecraft strategy and NASA’s science. She was also involved in the building of seven mass spectrometers that investigated heavenly bodies such as Mars, Saturn and the Moon.
Read more: The Hidden Stories of the Women in NASA