The Off Topic Topic

[Tonitrus]

Reading Wikipedia and found something interesting.  Yuri Gagarin had 265 hours of flight time when joined the Soviet space program.  Alan Sheppard, first American in space, had 3,600 hours of flight time a year and half before he joined the Mercury program. 

It was probably not possible for the Soviets to find a test pilot still alive with more than 265 hours of flight time.

And I believe it is well rumored that Gagarin himself was barely above vegetable level after his return from orbit.

Reading Wikipedia and found something interesting.  Yuri Gagarin had 265 hours of flight time when joined the Soviet space program.  Alan Sheppard, first American in space, had 3,600 hours of flight time a year and half before he joined the Mercury program. 

It was probably not possible for the Soviets to find a test pilot still alive with more than 265 hours of flight time.

And Gagarin himself is contributing evidence to that. 

[Admiral Yi]

A waste of resources by a very rich country at the height of its power.  The Mercury astronauts were PR eye candy.