Interview: Former Soviet cosmonauts send wishes to Shenzhou VII

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Source: CCTV.com | 09-23-2008 11:16

In the history of spacewalks, two names will never be forgotten. Former Soviet cosmonauts Svetlana Savitskaya and Anatoliy Solovyov each hold a special place in spacewalk lore. They shared some of their amazing experiences with CCTV as well as some of their thoughts on the upcoming Shenzhou 7 mission.

Savitskaya was born in 1948 in Moscow. She was accepted into the Soviet cosmonaut program in 1980.

Svetlana Savitskaya, Former Soviet  cosmonaut

In August, 1982, she became the second woman to travel in space during the Soyuz T-7 mission. Two years later, she became the first woman to walk in space.

Svetlana Savitskaya, Former Soviet cosmonaut, said, "It's not comfortable when you are under weightlessness. There is no big difference for the feelings between spacewalk and staying in the ship. People are not qualified for the job if they get too excited. At that momont, I thought I should work, nothing else. Spacewalking is, of course, a complicated job."

Savitskaya says the spacewalk plays an important role in a country's space program. She says spacewalks are used not only to examine the structure and materials of the spacecraft, but also to support spacecraft maintenance.

She hopes Chinese astronauts will achieve great success in the upcoming mission.