All are equal but some are more equal

“All are equal but some are more equal” is a proverbial statement, which most of us have learnt to live with in India. This unwritten edict cuts across different fields and professions and perhaps explains why some get the due that they truly deserve while others fall in the category of also ran - and going into oblivion blaming their fate to destiny - may be because they do not know how best to market themselves or be practical. History is replete with such instances, cutting across areas and countries, of some making it to the headlines globally while others do not even find a mention in the subtexts. This perhaps sums up the reason why we are not finding the kind of a buzz or hype among the media or student fraternity for the visit of Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko to the Nehru Science Centre, that is scheduled at 12 noon on the 25th of October.

I am reminded of the extraordinary hype and buzz that we had experienced, at the Nehru Science Centre, when we hosted the visit of Sunita Williams, NASA astronaut with part Indian roots, in the year 2013. We had the highest ever contingent of media both print and electronic including at least 9 OB vans the first for the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai. The Russian space achievements, which until that historic moment of “One small step for man and Giant leap for mankind” was achieved by Neil Armstrong for the Americans, had always pushed the Americans to the second position. But then when it comes to remembering the achievements most of our younger generations will hardly remember the Russian contributions in Space sciences. After all who can beat the Americans in marketing themselves to glory while almost obliterating the achievements of others. So no wonder that the Nehru Science Centre’s hosting the Russian Cosmonaut, Mikhail Kornienko’s visit on the 25th October, is yet to get even a fraction of the attention that we got when we last hosted Sunita Williams.

Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai with support from the Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, Russia, is organising the ‘Rosatom Festival of Science & Culture’ at our centre during October 25-26, 2018 and the special attraction of the event will be an interaction with the Russian Cosmonaut, Kornienko, flight engineer on International Space Station(ISS) who with NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, served Expedition 43-46 and spent a whopping 340 days on the International Space Station (ISS)during their yearlong flight. The "one-year crew" mission—which began on March 27, 2015 and was the longest by any astronauts aboard the ISS and seen as a vital chance to measure the effects of a prolonged period in space on the human body. This, almost a year long stay in space of Kelly, was also the longest period for any American astronaut. Russia however continues to rule, though not known very well among the public, when it comes to long-duration spaceflight. The world record of 438 days was set by a Russian doctor during the mid-1990s more than 25 years before the achievements of Kelly.

The Soyuz capsule carrying Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko and his 340-day roommate, Scot Kelly, landed back on Earth on the 1st of March 2016. The Russian and Americans duo had travelled 232 million kilometres through space, circled the world 5440 times and experienced 10,880 orbital sunrises and sunsets during the longest single spaceflight by an American. The news of Kelly returning back to planet Earth after spending almost a year in space made media headlines across the globe while his companion Russian Cosmonaut was pushed to the subtext. Leading the marketing for the American Astronaut, Kelly, was none other than the President of USofA, Barack Obama, whose tweet “Welcome back to Earth, @StationCDRKelly! Your year in space is vital to the future of American space travel. Hope gravity isn’t a drag!” did not find the mention of two of Kelly’s fellow travellers from Russia including Micheal Kornienko.

During the mission, the ISS crew conducted almost 400 investigations to advance NASA’s mission, of preparation for mans landing on Mars by 2035. Kelly and Kornienko particularly conducted research into how the human body adjusts to weightlessness, isolation, radiation and the stress of long-duration spaceflight, the knowledge of which are expected to guide future missions to deep space destinations.

Space missions have always been the turning point in the history of supremacy of nations. However with the onset of the global era the space missions have now become a global cooperation with more and more countries joining hands in the spirit of true humanity for the good of science and humanity. This global cooperation was aptly articulated by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden who said “It’s incredibly important that we all work together to make what is seemingly impossible, possible.” For NASA, that mission possible is its gearing up for human expeditions to Mars in the 2030s. Radiation will be a top challenge, along with the body and mind’s durability on what will be a 2-year journey round trip to Mars. He added “With his one-year mission, Kelly has “helped us take one giant leap toward putting boots on Mars,”.

While Kelly made it to the headlines, on the 1st/ 2nd of March 2016, globally the time is here and now for those of you who wish to meet the man who was Kelly’s room mate, Mikhail Kornienko, for all of 340 days in space on-board the ISS, in flesh blood at the Nehru Science Centre on the 25th of October at 12 noon. Come one come all don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet the Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.