Yelena Kondakova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yelena Kondakova
Kondakova in 1997
Born	(1957-03-30) 30 March 1957 (age 68) Mytishchi, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Status	Retired
Occupation	Politician
Awards	Hero of the Russian Federation
Space career
Roscosmos cosmonaut
Time in space	178d 10h 41 m
Selection	1989
Missions	Soyuz TM-20, STS-84
Mission insignia

Yelena Vladimirovna Kondakova (Russian: Елена Владимировна Кондакóва) was born on March 30, 1957. She is a famous Russian cosmonaut who traveled to space. She was the third Russian woman to go to space. Yelena was also the first woman to stay in space for a very long time.

Her first space trip was on the Soyuz TM-20 spacecraft. This happened on October 4, 1994. She lived on the Mir space station for five months. Yelena came back to Earth on March 22, 1995. Her second flight was in May 1997. She was a mission specialist on the American Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-84 mission. Yelena was the last Russian woman in space for many years. Another cosmonaut, Elena Serova, flew to the International Space Station in 2014.

Yelena's Early Life and Training

Yelena Kondakova was born in Mytishchi, Russia. This town is near Moscow. She grew up close to Kaliningrad, also in the Moscow area. She has an older brother. In 1973, she finished high school in Kaliningrad.

Becoming an Engineer

Yelena went to the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. She graduated in 1980. She studied how to build aircraft there. Both of Yelena's parents worked at a company called Energia. This company builds rockets and spacecraft. Her father knew how dangerous space travel could be. He was worried about her becoming a cosmonaut.

Working at Energia

After college, Yelena started working as an engineer at NPO Energia in 1980. She helped plan long space flights. She also trained people for emergencies in space. Yelena worked on many science projects and experiments. From 1982 to 1985, she was part of the team that controlled the Salyut 7 space station.

Joining the Cosmonaut Team

In 1985, Yelena married Valeri Ryumin, who was also a cosmonaut. They have one daughter together. In the same year, she began training to fly the Soyuz-TM spacecraft. She officially joined the USSR cosmonaut corps in 1989. This was the team of people who trained to go to space.

Space Missions

Yelena Kondakova made two important trips to space. She spent a lot of time living and working in orbit.

First Space Mission: Soyuz TM-20

Yelena's first journey into space began on October 4, 1994. She was a flight engineer on the Soyuz TM-20 mission. She spent about five months living on the Mir orbital station. This made her the first woman to complete such a long space flight. She returned to Earth on March 22, 1995.

While Yelena was in space, her husband, Valery, took care of their daughter. This showed the challenges of having a family when one parent is an astronaut.

Second Space Mission: STS-84

In August 1996, Yelena trained in Houston, United States. This training was for her next mission. Her second space flight was on the American Space Shuttle Atlantis. This mission was called STS-84. It took place from May 15 to May 24, 1997. During this flight, the Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the Mir orbital station.

Life After Space

Yelena Kondakova stopped being a cosmonaut on December 30, 1999. She decided to enter politics instead.

Becoming a Politician

From 1999 to 2003, Yelena was a Deputy in the State Duma. The State Duma is like a parliament or a big meeting place where laws are made in Russia. She was part of the "Fatherland - All Russia" political party. From 2003 to 2011, she continued to be a Deputy in the State Duma. During this time, she was part of the "United Russia" party. In 2006, she also graduated from the Diplomatic Academy.

In 2011, Yelena left the "United Russia" party. She felt that some elections were not fair. She said that this decision might end her political career.

Working in Switzerland

From March 27, 2012, to 2018, Yelena Kondakova worked as a Trade Representative for Russia in Switzerland. This means she helped with business and trade between Russia and Switzerland.

Spaceflight Details

Yelena Kondakova's space missions were very important. Here is a summary of her time in space:

Awards and Recognition

Yelena Kondakova has received a very high honor:

• Hero of the Russian Federation

See also

In Spanish: Elena Kondakova para niños

• List of female Heroes of the Russian Federation
• List of female astronauts
• Women in space