My interstellar voyage with the Space Station in the sky over Iguassu Falls

A curious conversation with a touch of science, astronomy, international friendship and universal coincidences

Interview with Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryazansky, the first in the world to record from the International Space Station the subtlety of the Iguassu Falls, a natural attraction, located between Brazil and Argentina, in a large photo shoot, over a period of six months. The capture took place in 2017, but only now, in 2024, the astronaut’s team passed on to Wemerson, a journalist from Iguaçu, the complete record on the Russian cosmonaut’s view of Iguaçu, the “big water”.

“In this interview with a group of Russians, I had the certainty that the world is small and that we connect with people who share the same kind of energy.” Or rather, the world is just a layer, as Nadezda Ryazanskaya says, the Russian woman who took a break from her vacation in freezing Russia to exclusively select 40 photographs from Sergey’s last space trip.

For many years, I have had the habit of taking notes and writing down ideas. They are notes of one word, a telephone number or a sum of scribbles that only I understand. I don’t know how many notebooks and notepads I have scattered around the house, bags, car, bedside. The important thing is to record the idea. At some point comes the digestion of ideas with connections and some sense. In the heat of Foz do Iguaçu, land of the hottest borders in the world, I open the box of stories written down to be told, lived and digested.

International Space Station (ISS)

In this universal exchange of energy with people around the world, I find a two-sentence note and website log. “Interview about the Cosmos of the Falls. Search for International Space Station (ISS) contacts.” It was a note from 2017, when the astronaut had spent days flying over the Falls and made incredible and unprecedented records of the largest set of waterfalls in the world, at a distance of approximately 400km from the surface of the ground in the Iguassu National Park.

Calmly, I look at that paper cutout, with scribbles that informed Russian websites. I go online and start typing in the addresses I had written down. Some turned out to be non-existent. Probably, I had written down some wrong data. And this until on the last website noted I manage to enter and find information about cosmonaut Sergey Ryazansky. It was just the beginning of the work. On the page I got to find the communications team.

The name of Russian Maria Tarasova was listed as the astronaut’s advisor. I made contact with her. She replied me very kindly informing me that she no longer worked with Sergey. She politely responded by saying she would put me in touch with people who are currently working with him. After identifying myself as a journalist and resident of Foz do Iguaçu, she said that she had already visited the city and had seen the Iguaçu Falls in person.

“Hello, Wemerson. This is Natalie. Sergey wants to talk to you. Here is his contact.”

I contacted Sergey, who quickly responded. Surprised, he was grateful for the contact and the memory of the story. He told me it was an extremely pleasant experience to record the Iguassu Falls over a long period of time. The photos, published on his social media in 2017, were just a small sample.

“I will select exclusive photos for you. It will be a pleasure to share these beautiful records from when I commanded the space station and had the opportunity to see this beautiful place from above, which I still don’t know personally”, said Sergey.

In parallel with my contacts with Sergey, I continued talking to Maria Tarasova, the Russian woman who appeared on the astronaut’s website and who no longer worked with him. In the middle of our dialogue, she sent me a photograph from the time she was in the city of Foz do Iguaçu.

Tarasova with friends from the international delegation of the Olympic Games, in 2016, at Iguaçu Falls. Tarasova is second from left.

It was a photo taken at the first viewpoint of the Falls, in 2016. And to my surprise, it was a photograph that I had witnessed – I actually helped that group record it. It was an international delegation from the Olympic committee that was visiting the Iguassu National Park for the international media actions held in occasion of the Rio 2016 Olympics.

With a mixture of surprise and fright, I had the feeling that the world is really small and there is an atmosphere of connecting people with similar kinds of energy and somehow keeping away people with different ones. At that moment, I felt sure that not only would I be able to talk to as many Russians as possible to tell this story, but that the story of the photograph would have new outcomes. There is no way to ignore this encounter.

In a world of 8,083,096,686 inhabitants, what are the chances of you trying to talk to a Russian cosmonaut, on the other side of the world, and finding a friend? This is the number of the world population at the time I’m writing this text, in the heat of January on the banks of Iguassu and Paraná rivers.

Iguassu Falls seen from the international space station. Photography by Sergey

“It really is an incredible story. One day we were at the Iguassu Falls, together with the Olympic Committee team, year 2016. Thank you very much for all the work and connection you made. The world is really small”, reveals Maria Tarasova.

Pondering upon the international connection, I receive another surprise.

“Hello, Wemerson. This is Nadezda, I work with Sergey. Sergey is waiting for your contact. Oh, choose the photos you want in high resolution for printing. It’s a gift from Sergey to you.”

I thanked for the attention and receptiveness. Days later, I received the images. Each photograph more beautiful than the other. These are pictures to scrutinize the details. We continued our conversation throughout the month of December and into this month of January. On January 7, 2024, it was 36°C in the shade in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, while in Moscow, the temperature was -25°C.

Conversation flowed, and I found out that Nadezda is Sergey’s sister, the person responsible for his schedule, exhibitions, and website. Sergey is currently a consultant and speaker, inspiring Russians and the world. In his country, he is a public figure, inspiring with his journey as an astronaut, researcher, and scientist.

With the passing hours, my contacts with the Russians continued to grow. Maria Tarasova is currently in the Dominican Republic, enjoying the tropical climate of 36°C. Meanwhile, Sergey, Nadezda, and Natalie are in Moscow, facing the cold of -25°C in the Russian capital.

In this multi-day interview, we talked before Christmas, after Christmas, during New Year’s Eve, and after the turn of the new year. It’s a rich story of Russians who also join the caretakers and guardians of the Iguassu Falls worldwide. A team that values research, study, people… and understands that daily learning is the key to transformation.

“Hi Wemerson! I’m very happy that everything worked out”, says Natalie.

Main moments of the dayslong press conference with Sergey and team, and the insights of science and professionals who work in space, see and think about the world from other perspectives, and the cosmonaut’s view from the top of Iguassu Falls.

Hey, Sergey! This is Wemerson.

Hello Wemerson. How are you? Nice to hear from you.

Sergey, the astronaut, at the Station

In 2017, you published two photos of the Falls, which you took from the Space Station. I would like to know what the experience was like?

It was remarkable and very rewarding. I have images saved from various places on the planet. The image of the Iguassu Falls from the Space Station is surprising, it is unique. There’s no way not to admire it. It has a lot of energy. I took several pictures of the Falls. It is a little hard. I used my camera to take the photographs.

Do you remember the day and month you took the pictures? What did you feel?

There were several images. Over a long period. I’ll give you the files. There you can see the dates of the pics.

Nadezda, I spoke with Sergey. Can you provide details about the period when the scenes of the Falls were taken?

I can, but unfortunately, I can’t do it right now. I’m a bit busy in the Moscow snow. I’ll look into the archives and organize all the information for you. We haven’t had so much snow in previous years.

The cold of January in Russia, photography by Nadezda

Sergey, what stood out to you in the scenery you saw from above?

The water, the greenery, nature. It’s very beautiful. It’s a place I haven’t visited yet, but I’d like to someday.

Can you describe the routine of the space journey and how this encounter with the Falls happened?

It’s not flying. Being an astronaut means learning every day. It is a very large connection of information. You need to study a lot, be open to discoveries. It’s very rigorous work. During breaks during the journey, I like to take photos. And after I photographed them the first time, I continued photographing the Iguassu Falls for months. They were very happy moments. I’m glad you liked the records.

How is the work on the International Space Station?

It is meticulous work, with a lot of responsibility and study. The Space Station orbits at an approximate altitude of 400 km from the Earth’s surface. On average, its speed is 28,000 km/h. With this speed, the station completes one orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes. During 24 hours, there are multiple orbits around the Earth. I don’t always have the time and the necessary angle for photographs.

“Hi, Wemerson. I remembered you,” Nadezda informed. “It’s not so cold here today, only 3 degrees below zero. I managed to organize the information for you. The last space journey lasted for 6 months, which is the standard duration for Russian space trips. According to the archives, the images were recorded on the following months and days in 2017: July 31, August 4, September 3, November 14, 15, 22, and 27, and December 9.”

Fantastic, Nadezda. Out of curiosity, what is the uniqueness in Sergey’s career as an astronaut?

An interesting fact is that Sergey is the world’s first scientist and biologist in space, not a military pilot or engineer. On his second flight, he became the commander of a spacecraft. Sergey underwent more than 100 tests and exams in recent years and passed all evaluations. He is truly an inspiration.

And what is Sergey’s current occupation and focus today?

He continues to study, research, and assist people, companies, and institutions. He remains active in the field of astronomy, giving lectures, conducting courses, and engaging with people like you to build connections around the world, highlighted Nadezda.

When will you visit the Three Frontiers, which Sergey had the opportunity to record and observe from above for six months?

One day we will. Sergey enjoys traveling. Recently, we were at Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe. Located in the Caucasus mountain range in southern Russia, this mountain is situated in an incredibly scenic region.

Being an astronaut means learning, studying every day. I, as an astronaut of words, will leave here some lessons and concepts that I learned talking to Russians and reading the book “Is it possible to hammer a nail in space and other questions about cosmonautics”, published by Sergey Ryazansky, in Russian, which can be found on the internet, with the name: МОЖНО ЛИ ЗАБИТЬ ГВОЗДЬ В КОСМОСЕ И ДРУГИЕ ВОПРОСЫ О КОСМОНАВТИКЕ.

Concepts:

Difference between cosmonaut and astronaut

Both terms are correct and refer to the same profession. Cosmonaut is a term used by Russians, and astronaut was used by NASA and other space agencies, such as ESA, from the European Union, to name professionals who work in space travel.

Importance of learning and collective work

Being a cosmonaut isn’t about flying, it’s about learning. When you study for two years in a row, from morning to night, and pass more than a hundred exams and tests. To put it bluntly, an astronaut’s main job is to learn. What do we do between flights? We learn! When you are allocated to a team, what happens? You are learning! And success happens first on Earth.

Inspirations that made Sergey Ryazansky a cosmonaut

Fate would have it that I was in orbit twice aboard the International Space Station. I was lucky enough to see our planet from satellites and meet incredible people who make dreams come true. I must say that as a child I would not have been an astronaut. My personality, in a certain way, was influenced by my grandfather Mikhail Sergeevich Ryazansky, who participated in the creation of the first Soviet rockets and satellites and interplanetary stations.

But I was more attracted to biology. Turns out it was the one who brought me to space. After flights, you often have to speak in public, not only to interested specialists, mostly to lay people, young people. Many remember Yuri Gagarin, the first human being to travel through space, on April 12, 1961, aboard Vostok 1, who famously said: “I see the Earth. It is blue”, in fragmented responses, via radio, to the Russian command on the ground. I realize that people’s desire to discover the new, the unknown, is immense.

How do you define space?

The word “cosmos” came to us from ancient Greek and means “world” in the sense of “universe.” In antiquity, space was understood as the area around the Earth, which was considered the center of the Universe. Today, we refer to everything outside of Earth and its atmosphere as space, although, of course, our planet is also part of it. To distinguish between different parts of space, refinements are used. Cosmic bodies are massive objects: stars, planets, moons, comets, asteroids, meteorites. The empty areas between them are called outer space. The space environment encompasses all types of radiation and the dispersion of substances: heat and sunlight, light reflected from planets and moons, cosmic radiation, cosmic dust, interstellar gas…

It is also common to divide it into conditional parts: near Earth, interplanetary, and interstellar. Nebulas, galaxies, and groups of galaxies are particularly distinct. They usually consist of a large number of different objects, so you might come across terms as “extragalactic nebula,” “intergalactic space,” “intragalactic environment,” and the like.

Space extends to its boundaries. In the universe, there are approximately ten billion galaxies up to 46 billion light-years away. Call it unlimited.

Why do we need the space?

Because there is a desire to move forward. There are always people who want to explore something, go somewhere, do something fundamentally new. It’s not natural to stand still. Space, first of all, is a person’s dream of knowing the unknown. Second, space represents a huge technological payoff. Everything that is being done by astronautics: new engines, new materials, new communication systems, life support systems for spacecraft, control systems… These technologies are in great demand in our everyday lives.

What is the mission of astronautics?

Astronautics elevates us, giving us the opportunity to contemplate future challenges and begin solving them. Its goals cannot be reduced to purely pragmatic objectives, that is, the creation of technologies only in response to demand. Cosmonautics provides us with new scientific knowledge in astronomy, cosmology, planetology, and related fields. With the help of interplanetary spacecraft, we study worlds near space, neighboring worlds, asteroids, comets, and their environments.

Using telescopes, we explore deep space, stars, planets around other stars, galaxies, and nebulae. We understand how the Universe functions, how it originated, and how it formed. But most importantly, when we study the past of the Universe, we can predict how it will change and identify potential threats. For example, active research is ongoing regarding small asteroids.

If we discover in time that an asteroid poses a threat, we will have time to send a device to it, diverting it from its collision orbit. Interestingly, it’s not necessary to use atomic explosions, as depicted in movies; attaching a rocket engine to the asteroid, similar to a spacecraft, and providing a lateral boost will suffice. The same principle applies to comets; many appear suddenly, and a collision with the nucleus of a large comet would result in much greater destruction than that of a city.

Another important scientific goal is the study of humanity itself in space. Here, we are already talking about manned astronautics. After all, we enter a new habitat: weightlessness, cosmic rays, a special atmosphere. Is it possible to stay in space without negative changes to the body? What can be done to prevent these changes? It seems like we have been in orbit for more than half a century, but space still holds surprises.

We need to fly to space more frequently, stay there for longer periods, collect data, and gather statistics. The same applies to the animals, plants, and microorganisms we bring with us. It is essential to understand how they change under the influence of the space environment because wherever we go, a “piece” of Earth, or rather, the biosphere, will always be with us.

But astronautics has two more exciting global aspects to remember. The first is the search for another life, another mind, preparation for contact. The second is the quest for something new, a place for humanity, a free planet.

Text by Wemerson, journalist, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil

Wemerson, journalist