An astronaut who unexpectedly spent nearly a year in space after his nation dissolved has shared his experience of returning to Earth.
Few individuals can relate to the sudden disappearance of their homeland, but cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev understands this all too well.
In 1991, Krikalev embarked on what was supposed to be a routine mission to the Mir space station, active from 1986 to 2001.
The mission was initially planned for five months, but unforeseen events changed everything for Krikalev.
During his time on the space station, the Soviet Union fell apart, and Boris Yeltsin assumed leadership of the newly independent Russian state.
This development left Krikalev without a nation to return to, with the spaceport and landing site he intended to use now situated in the newly independent Kazakhstan.
With the Soviet Union’s collapse, funding for missions became scarce, complicating efforts to bring Krikalev back, as leaving the station unattended could mean abandoning it without essential operations and maintenance.
Efforts on Earth to plan Krikalev’s return were frantic, and in a 2015 interview with The Guardian, he discussed his thoughts during the ordeal.
He said: “It was a long process and we were getting the news, not all at once, but we heard about the referendum, for example.
“I was doing my job and was more worried about those on the ground – our families and friends – we had everything we needed!”
Krikalev’s mission was ultimately extended, and he spent a total of 311 days in space before returning to Earth in March 1992, following negotiations between the United States and Russia that secured additional mission funding.
Reflecting on his return, Krikalev stated: “I think I felt satisfaction that I had done my job, and done it well. The second one was a sort of relief as I had held a huge responsibility for many months.”
Despite the unexpected challenges of his mission, Krikalev returned to space multiple times in subsequent years.
In total, the astronaut accumulated over 800 days aboard the International Space Station, Mir space station, Soyuz spacecraft, and the space shuttle.
Reflecting on his space ventures in a NASA interview, Krikalev highlighted the perspective space provides, allowing him to view the world as a place without ‘borders’.
“You start to understand that in many cases, our separation on Earth is more artificial,” he said. “We are living on the same surface. When you see a forest fire, you see that smoke is going sometimes for hundreds of kilometers. They cross all borders… You start to see that we are more united.”