Part 2/9:
When the go-ahead for a manned flight was granted to Sergei Korolev at the end of 1960, preparations began in earnest. The Soviet space program was keen to showcase its prowess to the world, especially in competition with the United States. As a result, the images beamed across the globe showed a smiling Gagarin, seemingly boarding a bus heading to his launch site. This portrayal led many to accept the narrative uncritically, underestimating the artifice behind what was believed to be genuine footage recorded on the day of the launch.