Russian cosmonaut Sergey Krikalev was scheduled to be sent to the Mir space station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft in 1991. With the collapse of the Soviet Union behind him, the mission turned into a nightmare for the astronaut. Sergey returned to a changed Earth almost a year after what was originally supposed to be a five-month mission.
according to Discover MagazineKrikalev was accompanied by Soviet scientist Anatoly Artsebarsky and British scientist Helen Sharman. They flew from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and their main mission was to repair the space station. After eight days in orbit, Sherman returned home with the two crew members, leaving only Krikalev and Artsebarsky. The space mission was going well, but the USSR was beginning to show signs of political tension. Suddenly, there were strong indications that the sovereign state was on the brink of collapse.
By the summer, many Soviet republics were beginning to push for independence. One of these was Kazakhstan. To appease the government, Moscow offered to send a Kazakh cosmonaut to Mir to replace a more experienced one. Krikalev, who had not been trained for long-term missions, had to remain on the spacecraft until further notice. After Gorbachev stepped down as supreme leader before the Soviet Union formally collapsed in December 1991, Krikalev received updates on a possible return to Earth. During the mission, Krikalev orbited the Earth 5,000 times. Eurasia TimesAt the end of Krikalev’s one-year stay, a team of three cosmonauts was assigned to join the Mir crew.
The long stay of Russian cosmonauts put financial pressure on the country. To raise funds, Russia decided to offer vacations on the space station to Western countries. Growing rumors of the sale of Mir caused concern among the crew, but they stayed on because leaving Mir would mean the end of the space station.
In March 1992, Krikalev finally received word that he had been replaced and could return to Earth. He landed near Alkhalik in the independent Republic of Kazakhstan. By the time he landed, his hometown of Leningrad had become St. Petersburg in the Russian state.
Unfortunately for Krikalev, what was originally planned to be a five-month stay in space extended to almost a year, with 312 days away from Earth, causing serious health problems. Upon returning home, he was diagnosed with signs of serious damage to his body, including weakened muscles and bones. However, the truly tragic part of Krikalev’s story is that he was the last Soviet citizen unable to return to his hometown of Leningrad, now known as St. Petersburg. Nevertheless, his dedication to remaining at Mir despite the odds and his commitment to the Soviet space program demonstrated true patriotism and professionalism.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on April 24, 2024. It has since been updated.
