Russian Cosmonaut Reveals Truth About Space: 'Earth Becomes a Dot'

Pravda.Ru editor-in-chief Inna Novikova spoke with pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of Russia Alexander Lazutkin, who shared his impressions of spaceflight, explained how space changes one's perception of the world, and reflected on the mysteries of the universe, life beyond Earth, and humanity's place in the vast cosmos.

Photo: NewsInfo.Ru by Alexey Morozov, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

The gravitational core at the center of the Milky Way

First Minutes in Space

Q: This year marks the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight. When you found yourself there after launch, what did you think? What were those first seconds and minutes like for you?

A: The first minutes already in orbit? You know, I flew there, and my first dream was to see Earth from the outside-what it looks like. Of course, I knew what it was like. But it was my first time at such an altitude, in space. And when I saw it, it was completely unexpected. The first phrase that came into my mind was: "Well, I always knew it was round.” And at the same time, there was a slight feeling of disappointment. It had been my dream to fly, and suddenly I realized I wasn't seeing anything new.

Q: Because it had all been in photographs?

A: Yes. All of that flashed through my mind. I was a bit shocked by that feeling. But those were just the first minutes.

Q: We once had Yuri Loza as a guest (a popular Soviet musician and singer - ed.), who argued that the Earth is flat. It sounds ridiculous-so many cosmonauts have seen it, so many images exist-yet some people still believe it. Maybe it's about perspective?

A: For me it was something else. I felt a bit sad that I didn't experience the same emotions as Gagarin, Titov, the first cosmonauts.

Q: They must have had different emotions.

A: Of course. Nobody told them what it would be like. They only knew Earth was round, but they didn't know how it would feel. And they were amazed. But I was already the 86th cosmonaut from our country. Everyone before me had said: beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I had already internalized that. I was a different person. So I regretted not having that same sense of awe.

Later, though, there was awe about other things. About a month later, another strange feeling came. I felt that the Earth lacked support-something it should stand on. I thought maybe there should at least be a rope stretching into infinity. But how is it that this Earth just hangs there in space? And it's spinning. Spinning is one thing-but it's also falling somewhere. It should be standing on something.

That was the second astonishing realization. I knew how the world is structured, but I had never felt it. I expected turtles, whales-something holding it up. To actually feel that Earth rests on nothing-that was a discovery. I realized that knowing and feeling are two very different things.

Six Months as Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Conditions

Q: You spent 184 days in space-that's half a year…

A: Even a bit more. You say it's a long time-but for me, it felt normal.

Q: It didn't feel long? At first it's "wow, space,” but then you still wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, go to work…

A: It was ordinary life, but I understood it was different. I was working 400 kilometers above Earth, in space. And as a human being, I understood that. My inner voice said: this is normal work.

Q: Interesting work.

A: Yes, normal work in unusual conditions.

Q: Was there leisure time?

A: Our flight was unusual. Besides experiments-which are the main task-we also had to maintain the station. At first, everything was scheduled. But then things started breaking constantly. We had to fix them. We were supposed to sleep, but instead we worked. There was very little time to just sit by the window with coffee and look at the stars. Our flight was an exception.

Before my next mission, I thought: what new will I see? Nothing. But I wanted to experience a smooth flight-with proper schedules, rest, quiet time.

Q: But that doesn't depend on you.

A: Probably not.

Space in Movies vs Reality

Q: Have you watched space movies? Compared them?

A: Of course. I love science fiction. But now I watch as an eyewitness. I can tell when a film is made by someone who has never been there. They emphasize what is understandable on Earth.

In space, everything is different. Calmer-and at the same time less calm. Films need action-alarms, running, chaos. But in reality, no one runs shouting. What matters is the feeling. How do you convey the feeling of infinite space? Because you truly feel it.

For me, Earth became a dot. And that was disappointing. I had thought Earth was my world. But the world is much bigger. And beyond Earth-there are mysteries. I wanted to turn my back on Earth and fly into infinity to find them. I don't know how to explain this to filmmakers. But that's what's missing in movies.

How Space Changes a Person

Q: Do you feel changed?

A: I think I'm a normal person. But I suffer a bit-I can't convey my perception to others. You would need to go there yourself.

But it helps me in life. On Earth, problems feel huge. In space, I realized-they are tiny compared to Earth. Now when something overwhelms me, I mentally step back, compare it to the planet, and it shrinks. The problem remains-but it no longer paralyzes me. That calmness stayed with me.

Q: Do other cosmonauts feel the same?

A: Everyone perceives it differently. I never discussed it deeply with colleagues. Everyone has their own inner world.

Can This Be Explained to Others?

Q: Did you try to explain it to your family?

A: Yes. Like I'm explaining now-when the mood strikes. I don't hide it. I try to pass on the positive aspects. I tell people: look at the world differently.

I thought: if more people went to space, we would live better. But there are billions of us, and only hundreds have flown. At this rate, I won't see change.

Then I had an idea: before becoming president, a person should go to space. See the world, understand their place in it. Maybe they would govern differently. We only need about 200 people-one per country.

Are There Too Many People on Earth?

Q: Many say Earth is overpopulated.

A: I used to agree. But after space, I realized-we are few. Very few to explore this vast world.

And not just few-people must be intelligent and healthy. Our goal is not just to live comfortably, but to explore the universe. Because there is life out there. That's the most interesting thing.

Mars and Life in the Universe

Q: What about colonizing Mars?

A: It's a logical idea based on current knowledge. But the real question is: is there life? Finding it would be a breakthrough. Not colonization-that's secondary.

Q: Some scientists say Earth is unique.

A: Maybe. But after seeing the universe, the question disappeared for me. It's too vast. We cannot be unique. Life elsewhere may be completely different-not like us.

We assume aliens must look like us. That's naive. The beauty of the universe is its diversity.

The Limits of Human Knowledge

A: We've studied the universe for a tiny fraction of its existence. Imagine 14 billion years as 140 kilometers. We've studied just one centimeter. And we already claim to understand everything?

Our knowledge is not absolute. Conditions elsewhere may produce entirely different forms of life. We simply cannot imagine them.

Voyagers and Communication

Q: What about the Voyager probes?

A: We sent messages-but will anyone understand them? Even humans change technology quickly. Why assume others are similar?

The probes haven't gone far at all. The universe is unimaginably vast.

UFOs and Perception

Q: Do you believe in UFOs?

A: I believe they exist. But perception is subjective. Even eyewitnesses describe the same event differently.

Truth is complex. Everyone sees their own version.

The Main Insight

Q: In one phrase-what is space for you?

A: The world is mysterious. We know nothing about it. It is enormous, and anything is possible.

We must study it. That is the most interesting thing in life.