Orbital log

Question: What is your vision of the future of space tourism?

I cannot really say. At the end of this year the US will discontinue shuttle flights. This means that then only Russia will be able to carry personnel to the ISS on our Soyuz spacecrafts. I heard it might be possible to have additional spacecraft made for tourists. But this question is better posed to the management of Roscosmos rather than myself.

It should probably be fun to run a large spacecraft tour around the Earth, but the thing is that such a spacecraft has to be completely fail-proof and safe for tourists, and it should be run by a professional crew, at least by one pilot. And the only spacecraft that meets such requirements today is Soyuz. This means that real, full-scale space tourism is still a matter for the future.

Question: Are you dreaming of flying to the Moon, to Mars? Do you think settlements on other planets are possible?

Of course I do! All cosmonauts dream of this! Just imagine what it should feel like to walk on a different planet, or to start a settlement… That’s incredible!

Although, as I already mentioned in my blog, there is still always some human fear facing the unknown, outer space, the Universe.

I think that sometime in the future humans will fly to other planets in order to explore the unknown. I am young enough, by the way, and ready to fly to the Moon, for example. A number of space agencies of different countries are developing this idea.

Question: Are you a sci-fi fan? What is your favourite piece? Have you seen the movie Avatar? Do you believe that humans will one day meet extraterrestrial civilizations?

I am a sci-fi fan – show me anyone who isn’t! But only of good interesting stuff. I saw Avatar about a month ago in the American section of the ISS. I liked it a lot and I’m planning to watch the 3D version of it once I am back home. As for extraterrestrial civilizations … I do wish to think that we are not alone in the Universe.

Question: Do you like music? Do you have the possibility to listen to your favourite tracks while you are on board the ISS?

Yes, we do listen to music. We have taken our favourite tracks with us, and friends supply new stuff by email.

Question: You see our planet as a globe. Does this help to think globally of the human race?

To tell you the truth, the Earth is not exactly round…

I touched upon this subject in one of my posts – remember when I wrote about the world’s pinnacle? The cosmonauts in the Earth’s orbit are higher than anything, as if they were on the world’s pinnacle; and you cannot help feeling here the responsibility before all of humankind and especially before the thousands of people who have put their effort into creating the International Space Station.

Question: Can space projects help people become kinder?

Oh definitely yes – kinder, more tolerant, more responsible. Kindness is a very broad term. It is as if you asked whether space flights were good or bad. Of course they are good. Striving for new knowledge, reaching for one’s dream…

Here, on the station, we have no borders. It’s different from the Earth. So, the cosmonauts and astronauts are the people of the future!

Question: Has your participation in the space project changed your view of the world?

It probably has, I cannot tell. I think I will be able to answer this question once I’m back on Earth and re-think my experiences. Here, I always have a lot to do and, honestly, I barely have time to think about such things. I just try to capture and remember all that happens.

Question: Are you perhaps planning to bring a gift to your family from outer space?

I might be, but I’ll keep it a secret

Via Russian space agency Roscosmos