1. Yelena Vladimirovna Kondakova is the third Soviet or Russian female cosmonaut to travel to space and the first woman to make a long-duration spaceflight.
11 Facts About Yelena Kondakova
1. 2.
Yelena Kondakova returned to Earth on 22 March 1995, after a five-month stay at the Mir space station.
3.
Yelena Kondakova was the last Russian woman in space until her successor cosmonaut Elena Serova flew to the International Space Station on 25 September 2014.
4.
Yelena Kondakova was born in Mytishchi in the Moscow Oblast of Russia, but grew up near Kaliningrad, Moscow Oblast, with an older brother.
5.
Yelena Kondakova was engaged in the long-term planning of space flights and training personnel to work in emergencies, worked on implementing scientific projects and experiments, and carried out research.
6.
Yelena Kondakova married fellow cosmonaut Valeri Ryumin in 1985 and has one daughter with him.
7.
Yelena Kondakova returned to Earth on 22 March 1995 after a 5-month flight on the Mir orbital station.
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Yelena Kondakova was the first woman to make a long flight into space.
9.
Yelena Kondakova retired from the cosmonaut corps of RSC Energia on 30 December 1999 due to her election as a deputy of the State Duma.
10.
On 16 August 2011, Yelena Kondakova announced her withdrawal from United Russia due to her disagreement with the results of the August intra-party elections.
11.
From 27 March 2012 to 2018, Yelena Kondakova was a Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in Switzerland.