Guided tour of the Museum of cosmonautics

There are some topics we simply forget about, about their existence, as they are “ too far” from our real everyday life. Though they are of sincere interest - no doubt. I am talking about the cosmonautics and space now.

There is a wonderful museum in St. Petersburg, where you can learn not only about the history of cosmonautics from its beginning to the present days, but also discover something completely new and interesting.

What amazed me , personally, best of all there, the one who visited that museum for the first time?

First of all, I was surprised to know how long ago the Russian scientists were interested in creation of space ships for exploring the Universe.

The first “spaceship” was invented by Valentin Glushko in 1929 ! The cabin of that invention (its name is Helioraketoplan) was made in the shape of sphere (its diameter 2.6 m) encircled with 24 electric engines. The ship was equipped with thermal elements located on a disk (20 meter diameter) converting solar energy into electrical one ( see on the photo below).

Today there are multistage rockets and INTERNATIONAL reseach orbital stations - what  the Russian scientist Tsiolkovsky dreamed about , dreamed more than a century ago! - to live in a “cosmic house” , hundred thousands kilometers far from the Earth discovering secrets of the Universe.

Can you imagine your life in weightlessness, in an absolutely enclosed space, without seasons, with freeze-dried food from packets every day? And it lasts for few months! The record was made by Valeriy Polyakov- 437 days !

But the story about food for cosmonauts is a separate conversation at all.

Today thousands of food enterprises all over the world have adopted these "space freeze-drying” technology . As a result such new products have many advantages: long-storage, they are healthy, without ANY preservatives , also they save the natural taste and useful properties. This process going by freeze-drying (freezing the product, and then, evaporation of moisture under pressure with gradual heating).

Secondly, all the scientists and engineers had made a tremendous work, since the birth of cosmonautics.

For example, the interesting fact is how the first 6 ships landed. At the altitude of 7 km, in accordance with the flight plan, the cosmonaut ejected and after that the capsule and the cosmonaut were parachuted separately.

 One more example - when one of lunar rover’s wheel is out of order (each wheel is equipped with a separate engine !) a micro explosion occurs in the damaged wheel and it begins idling not preventing to move the other ones.

 And thirdly, I would like to note the tremendous professional and physical training what cosmonauts receive, and, unfortunately, not everyone is lucky to make a space flight - the requirements and risks are extremely high. Even today being a cosmonaut is still an “unattainable level”.

 Someone may skeptically argue reading to the end: What is all that for? After all, there is still so much unknown and unexplored on the earth itsel?

But when you look at our Globe from the space, when you realize how unknowingly the universe is , how immense is …. only after that you start understanding how minuscule all our complaints , problems and sufferings are. The big is seen from  the distance... how they say.

 

 

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