Don’t get your hopes up – this is not a book review of The Martian. This blog is not nearly that interesting D:
Instead, this post will be about the ACTUAL cosmonaut who ended up stuck in space. Notice how I said cosmonaut? Well that’s no typo. Who else but the Russians would end up getting a man stuck whizzing around the planet (it’s just a joke, please don’t come for me Putin).
Say hello to Sergei Krikalev, a famously humble Soviet cosmonaut who, like most who have left the planet, was simply enamored with space. Krikalev said that the space station was like his second home, and crewmates frequently noticed him spending free time just looking out the window.
Krikalev set off on what would become a longer than expected journey in May of 1991. An experienced cosmonaut, Krikalev would be joining the crew of the Mir (the soviet space station) for a scheduled 5 month stay packed with space walks, experiments, and other space-y things. However, for any of you caught up with your history, things were about to go very wrong. While Krikalev orbited 230 miles above the ground, some changes began to take place in the USSR. Following Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika policy (restructuring of the Soviet political system), countries began to vye for independence. The first to go was Kazakhstan in the summer of the same year. In order to appease the new government, Gorbachev promised a space on Mir to a Kazakh cosmonaut. Unfortunately, the spot offered to the Kazakh government was the experienced cosmonaut who was scheduled to replace Krikalev. Krikalev would need to stay in Mir to maintain the station.
After Kazakhstan, things would begin to deteriorate quickly in the USSR. By August, tanks would roll into Red Square in a coup d’etat. Although Gorbachev regained control, nations within the USSR saw the government’s weakness and pushed even harder for independence. During this time, more cosmonauts would come and go from Mir, but Krikalev would need to stay as the experienced cosmonaut on the station. From his vantage point, he could do nothing but watch as his homeland crumbled. Finally, on Christmas of 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved, and Krikalev officially became the last Soviet citizen.
Now let me be clear: Krikalev could have left. Mir had an Soyuz capsule which could be used to return back to Earth, but Krikalev stayed. Why? If Krikalev had left, it would have meant the end of Mir and the Soviet space program. Even though he knew the risks to his health and safety, Krikalev stayed out of devotion to his country and dedication to the exploration of space. After the dissolution of the USSR, President George H.W. Bush swiftly picked up what was left of the Soviet space program (which was only being narrowly held together thanks to Krikalev) in order to prevent rocket scientists from defecting to North Korea, Iran, and other countries developing nuclear technology. This would set up the modern day cooperation between the United States and Russian Space programs leading to the ISS.
Finally, on March 25 of 1992, Krikalev was relieved and finally returned to a very different Earth. In total, he had spent 803 days in space and had orbited around the earth over 5000 times. This record would only be beaten in 2015 by another cosmonaut who went up for that specific reason. And, miraculously, Krikalev was not done with space. Years later, Krikalev would become the first cosmonaut on the American Space Shuttle. Take that Mark Watney.
I appreciate the humor in your post. Hopefully, Putin won’t be coming after you now! This is fascinating, especially considering that the USSR broke apart during his time in space. It reminded me of Planet of the Apes when they return to a different Earth. The background/history is awesome too to understand how space exploration has changed since the Cold War era. Maybe, we’ll have people living in space one day.
803 days in space certainly puts a different perspective on the mere few months we experienced “isolation” in the comforts of our own homes. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up, but I think I will content myself with watching documentaries and letting someone else hang out up there.
When I first heard about a man being stuck in space as the USSR dissolved, I originally thought that Krikalev was stuck in something similar to the ISS and not a stand alone space station. This makes it exponentially more terrifying and shows Krikalev’s dedication to his country and passion for space exploration. I know I certainly wouldn’t want to be stranded in space constantly being at risk of “space issues” that had to be resolved without the aide of what was once your country. Plus I would hate to be anywhere near involved with any thing government related when the government hit the fan, all that paper work following a crumbling empire would give me a headache. Great Post!
I like that you started off with a reference to The Martian — it was a great way to subtly let us know what we would be learning about. I also really enjoyed the humor in your post!! 803 days in space is crazy and truly shows the dedication Krikalev had for his country and love for space. Great post:)