Twenty-eight years ago, the first astronaut from independent Ukraine went into space aboard the Columbia shuttle. To mark this anniversary, we have compiled ten interesting little-known facts about our compatriot, his training, and his flight into orbit.
Leonid Kadenyuk joined the STS-87 mission, part of the Space Transportation System (STS), which launched on November 19, 1997. It took over a year to prepare for the mission, which lasted 15 days, 16 hours, and 34 minutes. During this time, the spacecraft orbited the Earth 251 times, covering approximately 11 million kilometers of space. The crew consisted of six astronauts: spacecraft commander Kevin Kregel, pilot Steven Lindsey, astronauts Winston Scott and Kalpana Chawla, Japanese astronaut Takao Doi, and Ukrainian astronaut Leonid Kadenyuk.
1. He visited the set of the movie Armageddon
Shortly before launch, the astronauts were undergoing training on the shuttle when they saw a strange camp consisting of tents and small temporary structures. As it turned out, it was a Hollywood film crew working on the science fiction movie Armageddon. When the actors learned that real astronauts who were about to fly into orbit had arrived, they were delighted. They spontaneously organized an informal lunch meeting and sat Kadenyuk next to Michael Clarke. The entire cosmodrome territory served as the film set. Therefore, the shuttle featured in this famous film is the Columbia, which Kadenyuk flew on.
2. Before the flight, he had to learn how to drive a tank
The launch pad in Florida is equipped with an emergency escape system. It consists of seven independent metal cables and seven baskets. Each basket can hold two to three people. During evacuation, these baskets slide down the cables under their own weight. After landing, the crew heads to a special bunker as quickly as possible. Under certain conditions, the only way to reach a safe place is in an armored vehicle with a control system similar to that of a combat tank. This special transport is also located near the landing site of the baskets. Therefore, during emergency evacuation training at launch, each astronaut had to learn how to drive a tank.
3. Ukrainian flag on the flight crew emblem
Each NASA space crew has its own symbol for the history of cosmonautics. Usually, it is designed by the astronauts themselves. After discussion, the team with which Kadenyuk flew decided that the emblem would be in the shape of a space helmet for working in open space, seen in profile. The left side of the helmet depicts Earth, while the right side depicts space, the Sun, and stars. In the middle is the Columbia shuttle, which seems to connect Earth and the universe. The golden flashes represent the solar corona, and the inscription “mg” stands for microgravity. In addition, mission commander Kevin Kregel suggested depicting the flag of Ukraine on the emblem as the country whose representative was flying into space for the first time. Thus, the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine appeared next to the surname “Kadenyuk” on the STS-87 mission symbol.
4. He invited his fellow villagers to the spaceport
Residents of Kadenyuk’s native village, whom he had personally invited, were present at the launch. It was very important to him that his fellow villagers, people who had known him all his life, witnessed his flight.
5. The crew spoke six languages and included representatives of four nationalities
At press conferences, astronauts had to communicate with the media in six languages: English – all of them, Japanese – Takao Doi, Indian (two different languages) – Kaplana Chawla, Russian and Ukrainian – Leonid Kadenyuk. Journalists themselves noted this feature, writing that they had never seen such an international crew before.
6. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper supported Vera Kadenyuk
According to NASA rules, the families of all astronauts need psychological support. Therefore, before launch, each crew member had to choose two representatives from the astronaut team who would take care of their family. One of the people Leonid Kadenyuk asked to take care of his family was Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, an American of Ukrainian descent. He met her in Houston. They ran five-kilometer distances together and taught each other languages. Kadenyuk spoke to her in English, and she spoke to him in Ukrainian, thus improving their knowledge.
7. He held a teleconference with schoolchildren, which lasted 30 minutes
The conversation was conducted in English, a language Kadenyuk did not speak fluently. He had only begun to study it actively three months before his trip to the US, while preparing for the flight. Kevin Kregel was very worried about him and stayed close by to help if needed, but his intervention was not necessary. Kadenyuk did well, and when the camera was turned off, Kevin somersaulted with a joyful exclamation: “Yes, you did it!”
8. He flew to the spaceport in a fighter jet
Three days before launch, all six crew members flew independently from Houston to Florida on three T-38 jet trainers to the spaceport. Kadenyuk was very surprised by this situation, because in the Soviet Union, the team was assigned a separate Tu-134 passenger plane to take them to their destination. But it turned out that this was a tradition among American pilots, and all crews arrived independently on jet fighters.
Source: State Space Agency of Ukraine
Approaching the spaceport, the pilots brought their planes within 3-5 meters of each other and flew over the Columbia launch pad in close formation at low altitude and high speed, to the surprise of everyone who greeted them. This was also a remarkable tradition of American astronauts.
9. Ukrainian borscht
The team’s preparation for the flight consisted not only of formal classes in lecture halls, on simulators, and in the gym. Meetings between the astronauts’ families were just as important. They usually gathered for dinner at someone’s house, and the hosts treated everyone to a national dish from their country. Kadenyuk’s wife cooked a huge pot of borscht, which everyone enjoyed. These gatherings encouraged informal communication and allowed everyone to get to know each other better.
10. The first words in space
The first words Kadenyuk said when he saw Earth from the window: “Kevin, now I can see that it is round.”
This article was published in issue No. 1 (188) of Universe Space Tech magazine in 2022. You can purchase an electronic version of this issue in our store.
