The Cosmonaut Who Was Lost in Space

Sergei Krikalev is a Russian astronaut and engineer who has spent a total of 803 days in space, making him one of the most experienced space travelers in history.

Krikalev was born on April 27, 1958, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia. As a child, he was fascinated by space travel and dreamed of becoming an astronaut. In 1975, he enrolled in the Moscow Aviation Institute, where he studied engineering and earned a degree in 1981.

After graduation, Krikalev began working at the RSC Energia Corporation, a Russian aerospace company, where he was involved in the design and testing of spacecraft. In 1985, he was selected to join the Soviet space program and began training as an astronaut.

In 1988, Krikalev was finally given the opportunity to go to space as a member of the crew of the Soyuz TM-5 mission to the Mir space station.

This mission was the beginning of a long and successful career in space for Krikalev, who went on to participate in several other missions to the Mir space station and the International Space Station (ISS).

One of the most memorable moments of Krikalev’s career came in 1991, when he was a member of the crew of the Soyuz TM-12 mission to the Mir space station.

This mission took place during a time of great political upheaval in Russia, as the Soviet Union was collapsing and the country was undergoing a major transition to a new system of government.

While Krikalev was in space, the Soviet Union dissolved and Russia became an independent country. When he returned to Earth, he discovered that he was no longer a citizen of the Soviet Union and was, in fact, a citizen of a country that no longer existed.