Hats off to imaginative scientists and engineers

THANK you for publishing: “Cosmonaut urges teens to shoot for the stars,” (April 15).

The successful launching of a human being into space was a tremendous achievement, not only for Russia, but for all humanity that demonstrated the power of imagination, coupled with hard work, to accomplish such a gargantuan and complex task as space travel. It also left us with a tremendous legacy of discovery and confidence in the human intellect that inspired many to pursue careers in science and engineering who subsequently made untold and incalculable contributions to society.

In that spirit, we should not only honour Yuri Gagarin, but also the many scientists and engineers from Russia and elsewhere whose combined efforts made this feat possible via modern science and technology.