Published on: 2026-09-17
Source: Official website of the State –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The real space legend Oleg Kononenko came to the GUU to talk with students and learn about the university’s scientific research.
Who is Oleg Kononenko?
Head of the Yuri A. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, commander of the Roscosmos cosmonaut crew, Hero of Russia, full cavalier of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland”, absolute world record holder for total human time spent in space, and the first cosmonaut to surpass the milestone of 1000 days in orbit.
He made five flights beyond Earth, the longest of which lasted 374 days, and spent a total of 1,111 days in weightlessness! A meeting with the legendary pilot-cosmonaut in the first management session gathered dozens of students, graduate students, and young scientists interested in the development of the space industry.
What was discussed at the meeting?
Oleg Dmitrievich showed photos and videos taken on the ISS and spoke about the most vivid moments of the flights, work tasks on orbit, plans for the development of the domestic space industry, and much more.
Today, Gagarin’s flight might not have taken place due to increased safety requirements
The conversation about the development of space and the requirements for manned orbital flights began with such a surprising statement. The reason lies in the insufficiently high probability of mission success given the level of technology development at the dawn of the Space Age and the complexity of coordinating such flights.
“The first flight into space was quite risky: the chance that everything would go successfully was only 50%. Think about it, would you risk someone else’s life with such odds?” – asked the cosmonaut a fair question.
And yet, back then they took the risk, succeeded, and made space closer and more understandable. Today, participants of expeditions in orbit solve dozens of approved tasks: remote sensing of specific areas, conducting experiments, scientific research, etc.
In their free time, astronauts admire the Earth, photographing their home planet from different angles not as part of their mission, but for the soul, to show everyone how beautiful it is. Oleg Kononenko’s photographs have already been exhibited on the streets of Moscow.
The main obstacle to traveling to planets is radiation
Reflecting on the likelihood of distant space flights, Oleg Kononenko named several reasons that make interplanetary flights impossible in the near future.
“The main problem is cosmic radiation. In near-Earth orbit, we are protected by Earth’s magnetic field, but when going beyond it, a person is exposed to a high risk. Currently, research is being conducted to create protective shields both for spacecraft and for people, but this requires a lot of time. Therefore, a human flight to other planets in the coming decades is unlikely. Moreover, I think participants for expeditions will be selected in the future, including based on genetic resistance to radiation,” the cosmonaut suggested.
“In an emergency, I trust a person more than AI”
Speaking about the application of new technologies, Oleg Kononenko noted that neural networks, artificial intelligence, and robotic systems can only be used as tools in the hands of humans. For example, for collecting information and data, their preliminary processing and summarization, easing people’s work but not replacing it.
“Neural networks are just a set of algorithms; they cannot think for themselves. Trusting AI in some kind of abnormal situation and relying on its help is a strange and ambiguous decision. I trust a human more because they can weigh the situation, react quickly based on their experience, and are more involved in what is happening. I doubt that AI will replace astronauts anywhere,” concluded the guest.
At the same time, robots will be indispensable in studying planets, especially if they can be controlled in real time, which will open up possibilities for preparing planets for the installation of equipment, developing deposits, and subsequent settlement, if such a task arises. At the same time, the astronaut pointed out a drawback of robots – they are unable to go beyond the capabilities embedded by engineers, whereas human potential is much broader.
“On Earth you get used to the perimeter, but in space—to the volume”
The legendary pilot also shared life stories. It turned out that the perception of space in outer space is quite different from that on Earth.
“In weightlessness, you are not tied to a surface, and such conventions as up-down, floor-ceiling-wall no longer matter. You have a three-dimensional space and can use it fully. You don’t need to go around an obstacle along the perimeter or on the surface at all; you can fly around it from any side. And, of course, you don’t adapt to this immediately either on the station or after returning,” Oleg Kononenko surprised those gathered.
He gave as an example the spoon trick that all beginners fall for: if you “drop” a spoon in zero gravity, it can go unnoticed for a long time, even right before your eyes, because the brain expects it to be on the floor and denies the possibility of it hovering in the air.
“A manned flight to the Moon is not planned in the coming years”
Oleg Kononenko also spoke about Russia’s space program, which includes the development of new spacecraft, improving the quality of cosmonaut training, launching its own orbital station, attracting private investments, and developing a lunar program jointly with China.
“There are no plans to fly to the Moon and land there in the next decade,” the cosmonaut somewhat disappointed the guys.
Why was the film “The Challenge” made?
This question interested many guys, as at the time the film sparked a heated debate about the advisability of actors flying into space.
“The main task is to show that anyone can become a cosmonaut. After all, the flights are given literally 5 seconds when showing the rocket launch. Can that inspire a desire to fly to the stars? Hardly. If the film has ignited at least a few hundred hearts with love for space, then its task is accomplished,” shared his opinion Oleg Kononenko.
“We are finding a solution to the problem, but we are not thinking about how to make space comfortable for living.”
A separate topic for discussion was the joint work of astronauts from different countries and the differences in their training.
Oleg Kononenko noted that American astronauts are highly educated, but they have adopted much from the USSR and Russia in their training programs. Furthermore, their tasks are explained in great detail, point by point, almost with pictures, whereas for Russian cosmonauts, a diagram and a brief description suffice to understand what needs to be done and to complete the task without errors.
“Another difference is that Americans place great importance on comfort and know how to improve things that have already been invented, often created by us. Our guys are creative and resourceful, can easily solve a problem, but once they have a solution, they stop there. Americans, on the other hand, can refine an already existing idea so that it becomes intuitive, comfortable, and possibly profitable. We don’t face such a task. If it works – that’s good,” shared the pilot’s observations.
“A good manager arranges everything so that the system works even in his absence”
The future leaders also asked how Oleg Kononenko plans to combine leading the Cosmonaut Training Center with participating in the next flight.
“The most important thing for a successful leader is to teach employees to work and to organize the system in such a way that it operates even without your direct involvement,” the cosmonaut said.
Introduction to SKB GUU
After meeting with the students, Oleg Kononenko visited the Student Design Bureau of the State University of Management, where Vladimir Filatov, Director of the Engineering Project Management Center, presented the largest projects implemented by the university: digitization of drawings for “TMX Engineering,” reengineering of medical equipment, the creation of a digital platform for agro-industrial complex management, and others.
Oleg Kononenko expressed interest in the developments and suggested coming again for a more detailed acquaintance with the university’s scientific potential and the Center for Space Research, Unmanned and Radioelectronic Technologies, one of whose areas of work will be the integration of GUU into the ‘Personnel for Space’ program.
Subscribe to the Telegram channel “Our GUU” Publication date: 17.09.2026
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