The Russian space station Mir orbited the Earth from 1986 until 2001. This photo was taken from Space Shuttle Discovery in February 1995. Credit: NASA
told me this morning that he only lost 12 percent of
bone mineral from one of the bones that we use for
study, which is exactly the same I lost from that same
bone in four months [aboard Mir]. He thinks that the
countermeasures he did may help limit that.”
inside the helicopter, and at the end of that flight, he
stepped off the aircraft and walked almost normally.
In his 1996 oral history interview, he summarized the
importance of that: “I was able to come out of the
capsule by myself, to walk around, to undress, to dress,
to do pretty much everything. And be conscious of evPolyakov’s physical condition was impressive because
erything. That was pretty much the goal of the flight. I
he exercised strenuously for two hours every day during
had to show that it is possible to preserve your ability to
his entire mission. He knew this was important for several
function after being in space for such a long time. But
reasons. It helped prevent motion sickness while in orbit
the gravity on Mars is .37.
as well as during the reenAnd since I was able to
try flight and landing. Also,
“In this century if there would be
stand up and walk on the
he wanted to demonstrate
Earth wearing a space suit,
an opportunity to go to Mars, not
that after a long trip to
it shows that [a] human is
Mars, an astronaut would
to stay in orbit as I did, I would get able, will be able to stand
be in good enough shape
up and walk on Mars.”
to work on that planet.
permission from my wife.”
Polyakov attained his
Polyakov proved his
goal of proving humans could maintain good physical
point when he landed in Kazakhstan. As he exited
condition after a spaceflight longer than would be needthe spacecraft, he insisted on walking, with some ased to reach Mars. His oral history interviewer asked, if he
sistance, the short distance to the chairs that awaited
had it to do over again, would he go into space for such
him and his two companions. He took a drag from
a long mission. The cosmonaut replied, “In this century if
a friend’s cigarette and a sip of brandy offered by
there would be an opportunity to go to Mars, not to stay
another. Then, after the cosmonauts were carried
in orbit as I did, I would get permission from my wife.”
in their chairs into a medical tent, Polyakov stood
up again and took a step or two without help. DurTo that, his wife responded, “He just says
ing the flight to Star City, he walked back and forth
that. He is not even going to ask.”
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