大象传媒

History rarely remembers who came second.

If Yuri Gagarin had so much as sneezed on the 12th of April 1961, the honour of being the first man in orbit would have gone to his training partner, Gherman Titov.

But Gagarin didn't sneeze and a disappointed Titov had to climb back down the launch tower.

A few months later Titov did launch successfully in Vostock II. He completed 17 earth orbits (got space-sick, ate and slept) and is still the youngest person ever to have gone into space. But he's largely unheard of because he wasn't 'first.

This is the story of the two cosmonauts - their training, their selection, the flight and its aftermath - told through Titov's eyes as he waits at Chkalovsky Airbase for Yuri to return from what should have been a routine training flight on the 27th March 1968.

Drama written by Anita Sullivan - originally broadcast to mark the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's flight,

Gherman Titov .... Derek Riddell
Yuri Gagarin .... William Ash
Private Baskov .... Sarah Ovens
Nikolai Kaminin .... Alun Raglan
Sergei Korolev .... Stephen Marzella

Director: Kate McAll

A 大象传媒/Cymru Wales production for 大象传媒 Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2011.