MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/. NASA astronaut Christopher Williams told TASS on the eve of Russia's first Space Week that for him, Yury Gagarin's flight was the "first step" in space exploration and today’s cosmonauts and astronauts continue to carry on his legacy.

"What does Yury Gagarin’s flight mean to me, as well as to cosmonautics and astronautics? To me, cosmonautics and space exploration represents a curiosity as human, and exploration of that curiosity. And, every journey needs the first step, and Yury Gagarin's flight to me is that first step. And that’s the first step that we’re all following behind. We’re all following in that legacy. That first step initiated exploration and that great endeavor that we’re all part of, and I think it’s really amazing to be able to follow in that legacy," the astronaut said.

Space Week 2026 will mark the 65th anniversary of Yury Gagarin's flight. The first-ever Space Week in Russia will be held from April 6-12, 2026. The decree establishing this annual event was signed by the President of Russia on December 29, 2025. Roscosmos is the organizer. TASS is the information partner of Space Week 2026.