SVETLANA
SAVITSKAYA

My goal was to fly. Yes, to participate in space flights. This is why I went in for aviation sports. I just never told anyone about this, because it was a time when everyone believed that outer space was not for women. The first female in space was from here and there is nothing others can do out there, enough is enough…*

The main thing while performing a spacewalk is to do what you have trained for. There was no fear, which is something irrelevant in outer space. It’s just more hard work. Of course, there are more dangers. You have to be more competent, more cautious, and more precise. You must have a better sense of self-control.

Fear is when a person freezes and doesn’t know what to do. From my point of view, this has nothing to do with piloting or cosmonautics. Of course, there are moments when you know that something may happen. You feel what you can do and what you can’t. In the latter case, you fall back on the equipment.

To be honest, I don’t like to repeat things.

There is no male or female model. There are just some people who know what they want from life and there are others who just beat about the bush. I always knew what I wanted and I always unswervingly worked for this… There are no female cosmonauts! A person is just called a cosmonaut. That’s all.

My philosophy is: You must always and under all circumstances be sure of yourself.

Being committed to aviation and cosmonautics is in the soul and the blood of our people. Space developments, like football, are watched by everyone. A huge number of people have invested their strength, funds and dreams into our victorious space achievements.

*Based on pronouncements by this section’s focal point.