‘Invest into space, not war’ – Russian cosmonaut urges Russia-US cooperation

Fruitful cooperation between the Russian and US crews at the International Space Station should become a template for relations between Moscow and Washington, cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev told RT as a new mission prepares to head to the ISS on Sunday.

Artemyev believes that lack of consent between politicians is what prevents humanity from moving forward and starting deep space exploration.

“Both Russia and the US have technical capabilities [to move into deep space], but there’s no understanding that we need this. Of course, it’s easier to start a war and pump a lot of money into it than invest into the space industry,” he said.

The cosmonaut has called the International Space Station (ISS) “a diamond of international cooperation” where the current tensions between Moscow and Washington aren’t felt at all.

“Space unites us all,” he explained, stressing the need for “more space projects that would make the people understand that there’s no need for confrontation.”

“I lived in the American segment [of the ISS]… and I communicated with the US, European and Japanese crew members, and it turns out that peace and family values are of prime importance to all of us,” the 43-year-old said.

 Image from artemjew.ru

‘I never dreamt of space’

Despite going to school in the Kazakh town of Baikonur where the world’s largest space launch facility is situated, Artemyev confessed that he didn’t even dream of becoming cosmonaut in his younger years.

“It was something unachievable. A completely different level. Cosmonauts at the Baikonur Cosmodrome were super people for us school kids,” he said.

Artemyev said decided to try joining the space program a lot later when he was a student in Moscow.

The cosmonaut now says that the 169 days he spent at the ISS in March – September 2014 “were absolutely great.”

“This is my job and I have no regrets in choosing it. I think anyone who could imagine what I saw and felt, would certainly want to go to space,” he stressed.

 Namib desert in Africa pictured from the ISS. (Image from artemjew.ru)

The pinnacle moment of his space journey were the two space walks, which were “difficult and dangerous, but fascinating,” Artemyev said.

“When the hatch opened, I was fully prepared, as we have to undergo extensive training for this back on Earth, up to two years. It takes place in a hydrolaboratory in the Cosmonaut Training Center in a pressure suit, but underwater which is pretty much the same, but a bit more complicated. The main difference is that underwater you receive assistance from the divers - they can always help you. But in open space you and your partner are all alone – and helping each other is vital,” he stressed.

Source:http://rt.com