Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko met MAI students
Oleg Kononenko, instructor-test cosmonaut, Deputy Head of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, the commander of the cosmonaut detachment, came to MAI on Cosmonautics Day. The meeting with the students took place in the laboratory on the basis of the Almaz orbital station. On April 13, a lecture is scheduled at the Military Training Center of the Moscow Aviation Institute.
Before the start of the meeting, Mikhail Pogosyan, the Rector of MAI, congratulated the students. He shared his childhood memories of Yury Gagarin's flight into space, spoke about MAI participation in space projects and successful cooperation with leading industry enterprises.
Oleg Kononenko answered the question about the immediate future of the ISS. His forecast at the moment is quite favorable: financing and operation have been agreed until 2028 with an extension until 2030. Later, the ISS should be replaced by a new orbital station, which is already at the design stage.
The stories Oleg Kononenko told about his space flights aroused particular interest of the listeners. The cosmonaut admitted that he had been waiting for his first flight for nine years. He was so excited that he was finally going into space that he hardly remembered the details. The second flight for him was like the first. He was able to evaluate and give comments only about the third flight professionally, because there was no such strong excitement.
Kononenko said that in orbit it was difficult for him to get used to the lack of gravity. This is typical to almost all the newcomers. “Look how experienced cosmonauts move around the ISS: legs together, arms along the body, everything is calm. Beginners try to grab something at first,” he explained.
Another inconvenience is associated with the use of objects in zero gravity: their movement often interferes with work. “To lose a spoon is a tragedy. Half a day in low spirits afterwards,” Kononenko joked.
The cosmonaut also told the students about the peculiarities of nutrition, sports training, the design of a spacesuit and everyday moments of being on the ISS.
According to Oleg Kononenko, in the near future the space industry will focus on flights to the Moon and Mars and attempts to create colonies there. “We need to get over it,” he joked. Space tourism will become more accessible every year.
At the end of the meeting, Oleg Kononenko called himself an eternal student. His profession implies constant increase in knowledge. Though his love for his work and dedication helps him cope with all the difficulties of preparing for the flight.
Oleg Kononenko is the Hero of Russia, the 473rd cosmonaut of the world and the 102nd cosmonaut of Russia. He made four space flights, went out into open space five times. He is going to fly into space again in September 2023 as a member of the ISS-70 crew.
The Cosmonautics Day celebration program, organized by the MAI Youth Policy Department, also included excursions for students to the laboratory of Aerospace Institute No. 6, where the Almaz manned orbital station is located. The participants of the tour got acquainted with the equipment of the station and were able to feel like cosmonauts.
127 students competed for the Gagarin Cup at the “What? Where? When?”. All questions addressed to experts were devoted to space exploration. The winner of the game was the OomBoom team, which consisted of students of institutes No. 2 "Aircraft, Rocket engines and Powerplants", No. 3 "Control systems, Computer Science and Electric power industry" and No. 12 "Aerospace Science-intensive Technologies and Production."
