On April 12th the whole world celebrates the day commemorating the first human flight into space. This is a very special date – the triumph of science, technology, and human intelligence that crossed the limits of the possible. This is a day to praise all those who made the first steps towards the space exploration, and all those who today continues to develop this most global industrial sector on our planet.
The year of 2021 has been declared the Year of Science and Technology in Russia. The theme of the new month is "Space Exploration", and a big cycle of events will be devoted to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Yuri Gagarin's flight into space. Thematic events are being held both at the regional and at the federal levels. Cultural, scientific, and educational institutions are sharing information about what role was played and is still played by Russian scientists, engineers, and cosmonauts in space exploration.
And today, on the occasion of this holiday, events praising the space achievements of our planet are being held around the world. South Ural State University is among the leading universities offering training for the future engineers, rocket-and-missile engineers, and cosmonauts. But not many people know that there were events in the rich history of South Ural State University that related to the visits by famous Russian cosmonauts. Let us together reminisce about those unforgettable meetings with the people who had flown "higher than the sky".
Alexei Leonov: the first human in open space
The SUSU Rector Aleksandr Shestakov, at that time the Dean of the Instrumentation Engineering Faculty, invited the legendary cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, Two-time Hero of the Soviet Union and the person who had made the first spacewalk in history, to the Faculty's 40th anniversary.
"The idea was suggested by our Faculty's staff, and I really liked it. At that time the Mir space station was operated in the orbit, and a number of its instruments had been made by SUSU researchers. We kept in touch with Alexei Leonov. He also liked the idea. We got lucky. After this, we have had a friendly relationship with Alexei Leonov. When I go to Moscow, I visit him," said Aleksandr Shestakov, remembering the visit.
Later, the name Alexei Leonov resonated in the university's halls more than once. For example, the legendary cosmonaut sent a telegram to Aleksandr Shestakov as a congratulation on the university’s 65th anniversary. It was handed over to the Rector as a special ceremony at a large holiday concert.
Viktor Gorbatko: a cosmonaut who worked with Gagarin
On March 7, 2011 a meeting with pilot and cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko was held for students at South Ural State University.
The legendary holder of two Hero of the Soviet Union Gold Stars completed his first spaceflight aboard the Soyuz 7 orbital spacecraft back in 1969.
Viktor Gorbatko told students about the history of training people for the first space flight, and how he had been one of the 6 candidates for the prestigious title of first man in space. Surely, this had been the most intense training in the world. After all, no one had known what would be waiting for them when they left the Earth’s orbit and found themselves in space. The most memorable training, according to Viktor Gorbatko, was in the centrifuge.
Viktor Gorbatko told the students about his training in the first Soviet cosmonaut squad where he had worked with Yuri Gagarin, and about the first spaceflight. In addition, Viktor Gorbatko met with the university Rector Aleksandr Shestakov and the Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Evgeniy Spiridonov.
Oleg Novitsky: 600 hours in zero-gravity
Russian cosmonaut, member of the cosmonaut squad of the Yu.A. Gagarin Research & Test Cosmonaut Training Center.
He commanded the Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft, which was launched on October 23, 2012 toward the International Space Station (Expedition 33). The crew also included Evgeny Tarelkin and Kevin Ford.
Over the course of 10 years he served in the North Caucasus Military District as pilot, senior pilot, and as deputy commander of the aviation squadron of the assault group for the 4th Air Force army and the 4th army of the Air Force and Air Defence Force. He mastered the L-39 and Su-25 aircrafts and has more than 600 hours of flight time.
Oleg Novitskiy visited SUSU on April 22, 2014 and talked to SUSU students about his experience of working on the International Space Station.
Vladimir Remek and obtaining the "matriculation certificate"
On October 25th a Czech Republic delegation under the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Czech Republic Vladimir Remek visited South Ural State University.
Vladimir Remek is a Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1978 he completed a spaceflight aboard Soyuz 28 piloted by Colonel Aleksei Gubarev.
Vladimir Remek told the students about the unique feeling of being in space and seeing a meteor flying by:
"I know that a meteorite fell not far from Chelyabinsk. This is a unique sight. During my short flight I saw a similar meteor fall. It was far below us. On Earth we still call them falling stars. When you see this from two different sides – from Earth and from space – it gives some kind of philosophical meaning to the flight and to life as a whole," said Vladimir Remek, sharing his feelings.
At the meeting, the majority of questions from students related to the aerospace field. According to Vladimir Remek, his professional skills and luck helped him become part of the main crew for the spacecraft.
Many also asked about the stages of cosmonaut training. The Hero of the USSR talked about the hardest moment in spaceflight.
"The most high-stakes moments during the flight were the rendezvous and docking with the orbital space station. Back on Earth, this stage took up 80% of the training. Between ourselves we called the passing of this moment the obtaining of the "matriculation certificate", noted Vladimir Remek.
Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka: answers from space
In 2015, students of the faculties of Journalism, and Computer Technologies, Control, and Radioengineering, members of the children’s radio club, and radio enthusiasts had a unique chance to speak with cosmonauts of the International Space Station. Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka expressed their desire to discuss any topic and answered all of the questions from Earth. During the conversations, the ISS was 403 kilometres above the Earth.
The organizers prepared in advance for the radio communication session with space. The contact with the cosmonauts was only possible in the short moment of time when they were flying over Chelyabinsk, so there would have been no time for the participants to think about what questions to ask. School students asked what the cosmonauts experienced the first time they saw the ISS, and what it was like to be a cosmonaut. Other participants asked what was visible from the ISS, and if a parachute would open in space.
The cosmonauts also shared what music they listen to when working on the ISS. Besides the music sent to them from the Earth by the Relax FM, Retro FM, and Avtoradio radio stations, Michael Kornienko loves to listen to rock-and-roll and is a fan of the Mashina Vremeni band (“Time Machine”), and Gennady Padalka finds relaxation in space listening to the choral preludes of Bach.
Cosmonauts on air once again
In the end of February of 2016, SUSU students once again made contact with the International Space Station. Flight engineer of the ISS-46 crew Sergey Volkov answered students’ questions from the orbit. The duration of the talk was 20 minutes.
Besides the students and their mentor, Doctor of Sciences (Engineering) Nikolay Voytovich, school students, many of whom are trainees from children's’ radio clubs, also participated in the session.
"I spent much time around the radio station. When I was given the opportunity to talk, I asked the cosmonauts whether or not they had seen northern lights from space and asked them to share their feelings about what they saw," says SUSU student Roman Sukhogolovy. "The crew members said that it’s very well visible from space, and that it’s a truly fascinating sight."
As for the schoolchildren, they expressed a desire to become cosmonauts and asked what they needed to do to fulfil their dream.
Guest of the Summer School on Asteroid Safety
In 2019 the test cosmonaut of the cosmonaut corps Dmitriy Petelin came for the opening of the International Summer School on Asteroid Safety. He provided the School participants with a detailed description of all stages of cosmonauts’ training and the physical and professional skills that a person needs to have in order to fly to space.
"It feels nice making a speech in my Alma Mater in front of today’s and future students. Having obtained my higher engineering education, I managed to get recruited into the cosmonaut corps. This activity is connected with operation of space equipment and, to a smaller extent, with tests and project activity. Based on my own experience, I would like to talk about how to get into the cosmonaut corps and accomplish the goal set. In average, the path from the desire to become a cosmonaut to becoming a candidate to cosmonauts and further examinations takes 9 to 10 years, and the competition during selection is very strong. The knowledge that I acquired at the SUSU’s Faculty of Aerospace Engineering were considerably helpful in that period, as well as in my further professional activity," noted Dmitry Petelin.
Upon completion of the master class, the test cosmonaut answered some questions from schoolchildren and students regarding the actions of a cosmonaut under critical conditions, and the prospects of flying to Mars.
Cosmonaut Day is an international holiday, a day of uniting people. After all, April 12th is the first day of the era of piloted spaceflights – a holiday for everyone, which unites the Earth’s past, present, and future.