Part 6/9:
Additional oddities included a moment when the gantry began to retract prematurely, seemingly oblivious to the halted countdown. Korolev, who presided over the operations, appeared to exploit this situation in order to distract observers from any pre-launch anomalies, ultimately ensuring a successful publicized flight narrative.
The Mystery of the Ejection
Central to the Gagarin story is the confusion surrounding his landing. Official reports claim that Gagarin ejected himself from the capsule, landing over a mile away from the intended site, but such information was carefully concealed to maintain the integrity of the flight. According to aeronautical regulations, ejecting would have invalidated his accomplishment, akin to being disqualified in a race for leaving your vehicle.