Space "Russia's priority"

12 April 2011 last updated at 13: 39 GMT Yuri Gagarin: "I was never nervous during the space - there was no reason for this" space research remains a priority for Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev has said, because the country the fiftieth anniversary of the first human spaceflight of Yuri Gagarin cosmonauts.

"We were the first in the space, we have a variety of services, we want to not lose our advantage," he said.

The event was marked by ceremonies and a 50-gun salute in Moscow.

Gagarin's achievement averted fears, people outside the Earth's atmosphere could not survive.

Since his flight in 1961, more than 500 men and women follow in his footsteps are followed.

In a video Link-Up with the crew of the international space station as part of who said events to mark the anniversary Russia Medvedev would continue to devote resources to space research.

"Humanity will continue to invest in the region." "Who let me Russia, on behalf of, that we will of course space is a priority for us", he added.

Later at an award ceremony in the Kremlin, President Medvedev former cosmonauts and told Gagarin's widow, Valentina, that Gagarin's flight "the greatest triumph of our country" was at the time.

'Let's go'

Before Gagarin sure nobody knew if a man could resist the conditions in the area, the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow, says Some believed weightlessness madness, the G-forces on take off would cause and re-entry would crush the body and there was concern about the effects of radiation.

Children look at a model rocket blast off at a ceremony in a school in St Petersburg, Russia

But when Gagarin's face and voice down from space, which saw world party were, that is no reason to fear the cosmos, - was to exploring it, our correspondent says.

12 April 1961, to the cry of "Let's go!" Yuri Gagarin embarked on a journey of 108 minutes in a tiny two-meter wide (6 ft)-Kapsel, then ejected and jumped down into a field in Central Russia.

"The emotional moment was when we heard he foot and to win;" his arms and legs were whole. "We understood in a sigh, that our five to six years of hard work had paid off and we had something huge, reached," said experienced Cosmonaut Georgi Grechko, now 79, worked as an engineer on Gagarin's space capsule.

The United States responded 10 months later, the first flight of John Glenn made U.S.-orbital.

In contrast to time, is in the Gagarin's space no longer the preserve of the two superpowers, our correspondent adds.

There are other actors in the region, including Europe, China and India — with their own programs and their own vision today, as well as Russia and America for space exploration.

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