To the 50^th Anniversary

of the first flight of a Man in Space

If to be, it is necessary to be the First V.P.Chkalov

From International Editorial Board

This special issue of the International scientific journal "Actual problems of aviation and aerospace systems", No.2(33), vol.16, 2011, is devoted to the 50^th Anniversary of the first space flight of a Man, when on 12 April 1961 for the first time ever, Yury Alexeevich Gagarin, the First cosmonaut of the Earth, pilot in command of "Vostok-1" spacecraft, got off the launch pad at 09:07 a.m. and after a single orbit pass landed at 10:55 a.m. This was an event of paramount importance for the history of Mankind that logically resulted from the efforts of the USSR representatives, who had managed to join the achievements of fundamental and applied science, engineering, socio-political system. And it definitely confirmed the beginning of active space exploration era, which had actually started on 4 October 1957, when the first artificial Earth satellite (Soviet Sputnik-1) was launched.

It is symbolic that Yu.A.Gagarin wrote in his letter before his flight (on 10 April 1961): ": I'd like : to devote this flight to the people of new society, :, to our great Motherland, to our Science".

Great Russian scientist Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky was the Epoch Founder of Space exploration, with profound development of all the areas of fundamental and applied cosmonautics. This Epoch is associated with distinguishing achievements in space exploration implemented on the basis of fundamental science and thought-out engineering practice: from the first, Soviet, Earth satellite (1957) - to the first Man on space orbit (Yu.A.Gagarin, 12 April 1961), to the satellite constellations and International space stations, to the space flights and lunar landing, to the interplanetary missions:

Scientific theories and approaches that became a basis for the first space investigations, theoretical and applied research, including the problems of dynamics of celestial bodies and artificial satellites and engineering problems of space flights, are associated with the names of outstanding mathematicians and specialists in mechanics, with scientific and design Schools of our country, which have been recognized all over the world. Among them are the Academicians: Leonard Euler; Alexander Mikhailovich Lyapunov, Founder of the motion stability theory; Nikolay Guryevich Chetayev, who extended A.M.Lyapunov's concepts and theory to the whole scientific and engineering world community, who founded Kazan Chetayev's School of stability and Kazan Aviation Institute (KAI-A.N.Tupolev KSTU); Sergey Pavlovich Korolev, Chief Designer of space-rocket technics; Mstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh, scientific Head of the USSR Space Program, Theorist in cosmonautics.

Anniversaries of the outstanding scientists and designers of that time, who contributed to that notable breakthrough, their projects and creativity, constitute the field of special scientific research that is important for us now. Among them: V.P.Barmin, V.N.Chelomey, V.P.Glushko, G.Ye.Lozino-Lozinsky, M.S.Ryazansky, M.K.Tikhonravov, M.K.Yangel, :

It were the fundamental higher engineering education, powerful scientific Schools, lofty ideas, boundless loyalty and inexhaustible enthusiasm that provided the Soviet Union with the chance for such a brilliant breakthrough in science, technology and ideology:

the Soviet Union won a Victory in the struggle for Peace on 12 April 1961.

It is represented the developments of the leading specialists in aerospace, including the analysis of historical path that led to the results of Space Era beginning. The papers pay a tribute to the professional heroism of the representatives of science and engineering and top leadership of our country, who made the fantasy come true, who ensured the Victory of the Soviet Union for Peace. The current issue deals with scientific research, analytical reviews of these events and associated problems, analytical and information papers, polemical ideas and prospects of further development of cosmonautics in Russia and in the World, reflections on importance of space scientific-and-engineering heritage for the world community in general, and research results in aviation and aerospace systems.

This special issue is prepared with support of our Partners: Central Scientific Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering - "TsNIImash", Federal Space Agency, K.E.Tsiolkovsky Russian Astronautics Academy, Academy of aviation and Aeronautics sciences, "A.A.Maximov Space Systems Research Institute", N.E.Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow Aviation Institute (State Technical University), University of Bologna, International Academy of Astronautics, :

Our authors are the leading specialists, Professors and Researhers, representatives of Academies of Sciences, Design Bureaus, Scientific Research Institutes and Centres, Universities, Space Agencies, who work in the fields of theoretical and applied problems of Aviation and Cosmonautics.

G.G.Raikunov (Central Scientific Research Institute of Machine Building, Russia), specialist in domain of system analysis, space and rocket systems of special purpose,- with scientific-engineering survey, devoted to the 65^th Anniversary of the Central Scientific-Research Institute of Machine Building (NII-88 before), with analysis of main directions, stages of development, important achievements of leading Research Institute of the rocket-and-space industry from 1946.

C.Maccone (SETI Permanent Study Group, International Academy of Astronautics, Italy), specialist in area of mathematical physics and space problems, - with presentation (part II) of scientific results on mathematical modelling in theory of search for extraterrestrial intelligence; with extending classical Drake model with using central limit lheorem in form of A.M.Lyapunov (or in form of Ja.W.Lindeberg).

G.M.Chernyavsky ("Cosmonit" Science and Technology Center, Russian Space Systems Corp., Russia), specialist in area of research and development of space information systems,- with comprehensive author's investigations on Cosmonautics Mission, with analysis of methodological basis of Cosmonautics, with study of conditions that were providing the success for Soviet љUnion in Space exploration, on problems and perspectives of Cosmonautics.

G.Bertoni, N.Bertozzi, P.Castaldi, M.E.Penati, M.Bonfè, S.Simani (University of Bologna, Italy), specialists on automatic control problems in aerospace, with authors results in development of integrated aircraft guidance system by an innovative technique based on Isidori method.

D.V.Kovkov V.V.Malyshev, A.V.Fedorov (Central Scientific Research Institute of Machine Building, Moscow Aviation Institute - NRU, Russia), specialists on control problems, navigation systems and designing in area of space systems,- with authors approach of selecting orbits for spacecrafts of astrophysical systems using methods of nonlinear programming.

V.Ph.Zhuravlev (Institute for Problems in Mechanics of RAS, Russia), specialist in area of analytic mechanics, gyroscopic and navigation systems, applied mathematics,- with brief analysis of some fundamental aspects in theory and applications of hemispherical resonator gyroscope.

Scientific-information section

A.K.Medvedeva, A.M.Peslyak (S.A.Vavilov Institute for History of Natural Sciences and Engineering of RAS, Russia), specialists in area of space flight mechanics, history of Astronautics and Engineering,- with analytical, scientific-information survey on actual problems of Cosmonautics within XXXV Academic Conference on Cosmonautics.

A.A.Puntus (Moscow Aviation Institute - NRU, Russia), specialist in area of the qualitative theory and applied problems of the differential equations, problems of teaching of courses of higher mathematics, problems of training of qualified professionals,- with scientific-information survey in domain "Mathematical problems in the aerospace industry" within Scientific Conference "Innovations in Aviation and Cosmonautics-2011".

Ye.I.Somov, G.L.Degtyarev, L.K.Kuzmina. Vladimir Mefodyevich Matrosov. The article in Memory of Academician V.M.Matrosov (1932-2011).