PARIS team raises pint to Yuri Gagarin

Heroic Playmonaut toasts fellow space pioneer

It won't have escaped your notice that today marks the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic first manned space flight.

Well, we at the Paper Aircraft Released Into Space (PARIS) bureau couldn't let the moment pass without some form of celebration, and our own heroic Playmonaut was on hand offer a hearty "За здоровье!"

In case you're wondering, I picked up the magnificent Gagarin commemorative space pen holder years ago on a trip to the then Soviet Union, and have been regularly dusting it in preparation for just such a moment. ®

Additional PARIS resources

• New to PARIS? We have a basic mission summary here (pdf).
• Our dedicated PARIS section, with all previous updates, is right here.
• You can find our release, pursuit and recovery photos here...
• ...and our onboard camera photo album here.
• Our Flickr page, for your viewing pleasure.
• Check out our lovely YouTube channel.