Russian cosmonaut Elena Serova said what impressed her most in her space expedition, what a woman's daily life is like in space and what she missed most during her 167 days in orbit.
Just 35 years ago, Svetlana Savítskaya was the first woman to carry out a spacewalk. Although she was only eight years old at the time, Elena Serova already knew that her life would also be somehow linked to space. However, I did not imagine that I would become a cosmonaut.
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"If I am sincere, I did not suspect that one day I would be a cosmonaut. But already at that time, I perceived, perhaps intuitively, that my life would be linked to space. (...) Only later did I know that I could enroll in the cosmonaut brigade, that that was something possible and that I could try. I did not dream in childhood that I would be a cosmonaut, (...) for me that was something of science fiction, something completely impossible, as for any other child, "Serova recalled during an interview with Sputnik.
Future of Space Exploration for Humans
© SPUTNIK / EVGENY ODINOKOV
Elena Serova, Russian cosmonaut, during her visit to the Radio Sputnik studio in Moscow
Despite not having been directly influenced by Savítskaya, Serova recognizes the importance of the fact of the Soviet cosmonaut, who described it as a true "feat."
"You have to take into account what a spacewalk is, the difficulty of this work. It is inhuman work, really, if we take into account all the conditions in which they occur: it is an aggressive environment, space is not a complete environment done for us. However, Savítskaya did it perfectly and showed everyone that women are capable of doing such jobs, "said Serova.
Women in space
Although the number of women cosmonauts has grown since the beginning of space exploration, the number of men in the profession is still much higher. For Serova, women had - and still have today - to fight against the different stereotypes and prove that they can be present in professions that have historically been masculine, such as cosmonautics. However, he considers that, beyond gender, it is important to focus on the professional capacities of the candidates.
© SPUTNIK / VALERY MELNIKOV
The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, gives the medal of Hero of Russia to cosmonaut Elena Serova
"There is no such criterion: man-cosmonaut or woman-cosmonaut. The person is professional or is not; is able to perform the tasks assigned to him or not. There can be no other way. That idea of having 50 % of women and 50% of men is completely wrong. If a person lives up to the profession, meets their requirements, it means they can do their job with quality, "said Serova.
The cosmonaut clarified that, despite the higher number of male cosmonauts in the International Space Station (ISS), the spacecraft has everything necessary for the comfort of a woman.
"We have everything we need to be able to fly quietly, maintain hygiene and have some kind of privacy. Many ask: 'How do you bathe, where do you wash your hair, how do you take care of hygiene in general?' Well ... just like men, there is everything there for that, there are certain private areas, there are cosmetic kits, but they are the same for everyone if a woman flies, it does not mean that she carries a cosmetic suitcase or shampoo with her. Women adapt to a new environment quickly. It is part of our nature, "explained the cosmonaut.
Serova also considered that on Earth or in space, women have the ability to adapt things so that they can live better. However, they are not "as capricious as it may seem to some."
Life in space
Serova participated in the 41st ISS expedition and was in space for just over 167 days— from September 25, 2014, to March 12, 2015—. Remembering her first days aboard the station, the cosmonaut says that the feeling of weightlessness was one of the things that impressed her most.
"I am often asked about weightlessness. For me, it was very surprising. The feeling I experienced in orbit is the same one I had felt when I dreamed I was flying. Exactly the same. And then I had a strange thought: maybe this is a genetic memory? I don't know how to explain this, but I just already knew physically what it was and how it would happen, "said Serova.
Another unforgettable memory of the cosmonaut is the vision of our planet from the hatch when he first woke up in the ISS.
"The next morning I woke up, mixed my tea with milk. The boys were still sleeping and flew to the window. It was absolutely incredible. Imagine: you wake up in the morning, you prepare coffee or tea, you look out the window. And you see something different "It is not a green courtyard, nor snowy valleys. It is an incomparable spectacle: our planet. And putting this first impression into words is impossible," said Serova.
Tour of the Earth
The cosmonaut said that one of the things she most wanted when she returned to Earth was to breathe the winter air, once she was in space all winter.
"We came back at the beginning of spring, but I was lucky. At the landing site, in Zhezkazgan, it snowed (...) When they took me out, I inspired that fresh frozen air and felt an indescribable happiness. I needed that. Everyone knows that the windows of the space station cannot be opened, "the cosmonaut said with a smile.
Serova received the honorary title of Hero of Russia in 2016. That same year she finished her career in cosmonautics and was elected deputy of the State Duma - Lower Chamber - of the Federal Assembly - legislative body - of Russia.
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