American spacecraft Crew Dragon carries Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov to International Space Station (ISS); female commander, colonel, and submariner comprise the crew
The latest mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft has launched, and it's not just the technology that sets this mission apart. A long-standing tradition, originating from military pilots in the U.S., has been carried forward: Russians and Americans play cards as a pre-launch ritual.
This tradition has its roots in the past, with the first cross-flight occurring in 1998 when Sergei Krikalev flew on the shuttle "Discovery", and in 2000, William Shepherd flew on "Soyuz". The tradition continues today, with astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of the current mission, and Oleg Platov, a cosmonaut and "flight specialist", engaging in a friendly game of cards.
Zena Cardman, a geobiologist and a rookie astronaut, is joined by Michael Fincke, an astronaut born in 1967 with extensive experience, having completed nine spacewalks. On the Russian side, Oleg Platov, a military pilot from Chelyabinsk and a sportsman with excellent survival skills in the wild, represents the cosmonaut corps.
Interestingly, the training programs for cosmonauts at Roscosmos and NASA are different. Russian cosmonaut training emphasizes deep technical understanding of spacecraft systems, enabling cosmonauts to manually operate, troubleshoot, and repair their spacecraft. This rigorous and demanding training makes cosmonauts not only operators but also mechanics and scientists capable of handling emergencies independently. In contrast, U.S. astronaut training, particularly with newer commercial vehicles like SpaceX’s Dragon, focuses more on operational procedures.
The movie "White Sun of the Desert" is a pre-launch tradition for American astronauts, believed to improve video shooting skills. For the current mission, the movie has been dubbed, unlike the previous one which had subtitles. However, the context of the movie might not be fully understood by younger astronauts like Zena Cardman, who did not live in the USSR.
The ISS can accommodate both "Soyuz" and American spacecraft, allowing for astronauts from both countries to fly on each other's ships. This international collaboration is evident in the joint training and protocols used by astronauts and cosmonauts on the ISS.
Despite political tensions, both nations continue to cooperate on missions such as the ISS. This cooperation is a testament to the shared goal of space exploration and the mutual respect between the two nations' space programmes.
References: 1. Space.com 2. NASA 3. Roscosmos 4. Spaceflight Now
Astronaut Zena Cardman, a geobiologist and a rookie astronaut, participates in a tradition that extends back to the early days of international collaboration in space, playing cards with cosmonaut Oleg Platov as part of the pre-launch rituals. This space mission, launched on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, showcases advancements in technology, but also highlights the general news of enduring camaraderie between NASA and Roscosmos, evident in their shared use of spacecraft like the ISS.
%3B%20female%20commander%2C%20colonel%2C%20and%20submariner%20comprise%20the%20crew){kind=link}