Dear friends!

In the very near future the whole world will celebrate two significant dates: 45 years of the first man's flight to the Space and 50 years of the launching of the first artificial Earth satellite. Nowadays there are few eyewitnesses of those great events in the people's history. At that time there weren't personal computers, systems of sputnik television, global telecommunication networks. That is why news came to people with the help of other ways: from mass media, according to the journalist's point of view, information agencies, government officials (politicians and country…)

Today we live in an open society. And we, as representatives of the country, which first went out to Space, want to know how people from other parts of the world perceived the launching of the first Earth satellite and the first man's flight to the Space? And we need your help in this project. We suppose, it will be very interesting to find out how these events were interpreted in different countries.

We want you to take part in our Global Telecommunication Project and pass our request to inhabitants of your country, who can remember these events and tell the world his impressions.

Your task for the project "Contemporaries of the Cosmic Era"
Compose a little story answering the question: how did you become the witness of people's break into the Space. Main events: launching of the First Earth Satellite (the 4th of October in 1956) and the Gagarin's flight to the Space (the 12th of April in 1961).

• How old were you and where did you live that moment? How and where did you learn about these events? How did you perceive launching of the First Earth Satellite and the Gagarin's flight? What was the reaction of your family and the society (simple people, authority, the press…)?
• How do you think if there were more important events (for your country and society on the whole) during your life? Tell us about them.
• Your generation opened "the way to the stars" for people. What events would your like to wish contemporary youth?

We are waiting for your answers!

When the project will be finished, we put its results on the special Web Site. We are ready to look at every suggestion including the possibility of printing publication of the most interesting memories on different languages. The basic language of the project is English.

Please send your stories and replies to me, Julie - jb8305@mail.ru - or the address of my colleague Ludmila - ludmiladall@rambler.ru from the 30th of January till the 28th of February

Yours truly,

Creative team of the Center for additional education (Zelenogorsk)
and the Space Exploration's School (Zheleznogorsk).