Russia’s solely feminine cosmonaut says ‘prepared’ for Crew Dragon flight

Russia’s solely lively feminine cosmonaut, Anna Kikina, mentioned Friday she was prepared for her upcoming flight to the International Space Station aboard Space X’s Crew Dragon.

The flight, scheduled for October 3, is about to go forward regardless of hovering tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia’s navy intervention in Ukraine.

Kikina, a 37-year-old engineer, can be solely the fifth skilled woman cosmonaut from Russia or the Soviet Union to fly to space.

She may even be the primary Russian to journey aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft, as a part of a cross-flights deal between NASA and Russia’s space company Roscosmos.

“Yes, of course I am ready for the flight. I will leave for America on September 8 for the final training session, pre-flight activities and procedures,” Kikina informed a press convention broadcast by Roscosmos.

Speaking of her function as the primary Russian to fly with a Space X mission, she mentioned “this is a great responsibility”.

“But I can also say that any flight is a big responsibility for a cosmonaut. So personally, I do not make special distinctions,” she added.

Asked concerning the attitudes of US colleagues in the direction of her, Kikina mentioned that “I feel loved… I am very happy that I am part of this crew”.

Kikina can be a part of Space X’s Crew-5 mission to the ISS on October 3, joined by Japan’s Koichi Wakata and NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada.

Kikina mentioned she can be taking together with her an emblem of her Siberian hometown Novosibirsk—a hand-made toy of a younger boy with orange hair known as “Gorodovichok”.

“He’s already waiting for me onboard,” she mentioned.

The final Russian lady to fly to space was Elena Serova, who spent 167 days aboard the ISS from September 2014 to March 2015.

Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova grew to become the primary lady in space when she travelled into orbit on June 16, 1963.

Svetlana Savitskaya was the second lady in space, and the primary lady to carry out a spacewalk in July 1984.

In October, Russia additionally despatched to space an actress, Yulia Peresild, who spent 12 days on the ISS taking pictures scenes for a film.

By comparability, greater than 50 American ladies have travelled to space.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is about to launch to the ISS on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on September 21, joined by cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin.

© 2022 AFP