Strange as it may seem, but astronautics - an area where the most complex and latest technologies reign - is also an area associated with a lot of strict traditions and even superstitions. Everyone who goes into space must perform a lot of complex rituals, otherwise the flight will turn into a disaster. Charms, songs and worship of the spirit of Gagarin - all this is included in the indispensable set of actions that the future cosmonaut must perform.

Edition PM

Evil fate: the explosion of the R-16 rocket on October 24, 1960 led to the death of 72 people (according to official data)

The most important thing: to irrigate the right rear wheel of the bus

The best patron of crews is the spirit of the first astronaut

Dobrovolsky, Volkov, Patsaev: evil fate and the death of the crew of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft caused the appearance of a mass of superstitions

There is a superstition at the Plesetsk cosmodrome: before launch, write on the rocket female name Tanya

However, if you think about it, all this is not so unexpected: the laws of psychology are almost as immutable as the physical principles. So, it is known that superstitions are especially great in those areas of activity where a person experiences especially high level stress - for example, speaking in public or working at risk to life. There is plenty of the latter even in modern astronautics: out of 483 people who, according to official data, have been in space, 18 have died. The mortality rate, therefore, is 3.74% - this makes astronautics one of the most dangerous professions in the world. For example, the death rate among the US military during the war in Iraq (2003-2006) was 0.39%, and in Vietnam (1966-1972) - 2.18%.

Given this danger, it is not surprising that astronauts feel calmer and psychologically more comfortable, actively "protecting themselves" from mortal danger with the help of all kinds of rituals, talismans and amulets. This is a natural need of our psyche - in case of danger, turn to the force "capable" of deflecting the blows of fate.

Another reason for the active spread of superstitions and rituals is what is called "corporate spirit." Astronauts, of course, belong to an elite closed professional group and, therefore, psychologically need signs and symbols that would separate them from other "mortals" and distinguish them from them. This function is partly taken over by the joint performance of seemingly meaningless rituals. Their members strengthen the internal cohesion of the team, emphasizing their uniqueness.

The most interesting (and the most numerous) superstitions exist in Russian astronautics. Some of them already belong to our days, some originate from the Soviet era and the first manned flights into space, and some are even based on very old Orthodox views.

On board orbital station the team is also traditionally greeted with bread and salt. Well, upon returning to Earth, the crew again performs a lot of rituals: they sign on the soot-covered shell of the descent capsule and inside the cabin of the helicopter that picked them up. A specially prepared bottle of vodka is also drunk, on which all members of the crew signed before the start. On the same alley in Baikonur, they are already planting their own tree, which will weave their votes to help the next crews. And it all ends again Star City, paying tribute to Yuri Gagarin, who provided travelers with such significant support.

Image copyright Reuters

From the consecration of the rocket by an Orthodox priest to the "toilet" pause at the right rear wheel - all astronauts going to the International space station, follow many traditions and superstitions, the main of which originated in the USSR, during the time of Sergei Korolev.

Astronauts are a very disciplined and highly professional audience. Passing through a sieve of rigorous selection, with at least five years of intense training behind them, they are able to operate a spacecraft, troubleshoot a space station and use a space toilet. But none of them wants to rely on chance.

Now the Russian Soyuz is the only spacecraft capable of delivering astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). But before you get on board, you have to overcome a minefield of superstition, traditional procedures and ceremonies.

As I was recently able to understand during a visit to the Russian Mission Control Center, myths, legends and traditions have been formed around launches since the day when Yuri Gagarin first flew into orbit in April 1961 (in Russia it is believed that the beginning of "space superstitions" was laid by the legendary Sergei Korolev - approx. BBC).

Not all of these traditions make sense. But when you're about to take your place at the top of a huge tower with 274 tons of explosive rocket fuel, you don't want to take a chance if a black cat crosses your path.

Here is a list of rituals we have compiled (of course, far from complete) that will have to be observed before boarding a Russian rocket.

1. Support group

Baikonur in November A prickly wind rages on the expanses of the Kazakh steppe, raising snow from the icy ground. The leaden gray sky merges with the gray runway of the airfield. Icicles hang menacingly from the broken gutters of the hangars.

Image copyright AP Image caption Astronauts are always warmly seen off. It is only forbidden to say goodbye to them

A small jet taxis out to the platform, and men wrapped in thick fur coats take their places at the gangway. To the sounds of a brass band coming from a Soviet-era sound system, three figures descend onto cracked concrete. Then, lined up, women in coats, hats, and gloves begin to wave glittering gold pompoms.

This is the traditional reception given to astronauts and cosmonauts arriving at Baikonur. The origin of this custom remains obscure, but no flight is complete without a show of golden pom-poms.

2. Swivel chair

The immediate and very debilitating effect of leaving the planet is the "space sickness" that even the most trained astronauts complain about. Today, when a flight to the ISS takes only six hours, during which you have to make dozens of course corrections, a vomiting crew is the last thing you need.

Image copyright AP Image caption Many traditions and rituals began to take shape even under such pioneers as Gagarin

One solution proposed by Russian space physiologists is to try to deliberately disorient astronauts before launch. Hours before the flight, all crew members are forced to spin in swivel chairs and turned upside down on special beds to prepare them for weightlessness.

There is no consensus in the space community about how effective all this is. However, if you have a hygiene bag handy, this is something to try at home.

3. Wood

Cosmonauts Alley at Baikonur is one of the most touching memorials dedicated to space flights. Trees have been planted here for the past 50 years, and this is not only a tribute to people who have been in space, but also a living monument to those who have not returned (a tree planted by Yuri Gagarin also grows here - approx. BBC).

Before the flight, each crew member plants their own, named sapling, a task that is easy in the fragrant Kazakh spring, but becomes very difficult in the harsh winter when the ground is as hard as rock.

4. DVD with a 1970s cult film

What do people do the day before the start? Watching a movie. But not just any movie. We are talking about the film "White Sun of the Desert", which IMDb (the world's largest database of cinema) characterizes as "an American western in a Russian way."

Image copyright AP Image caption It's better for astronauts not to look at the rocket when it is being driven to the launch site. The rest - you can

This is probably a classic for Russia, but since I have never watched it, I have nothing to say about it. However, every astronaut who has flown from Baikonur since the early 1970s is familiar with the ritual of watching this movie before launch.

The beginning of mandatory screenings of the "White Sun of the Desert" is connected with the tragedy of June 30, 1971, when the crew of Dobrovolsky, Volkov and Patsaev died. The next flight - more than two years later - went well, and it turned out that the crew had watched this film before the start.

5. Signature in the right place

In Russia, it is customary to sign for everything. Why should space be an exception?

Image copyright getty Image caption After spending the night before the flight in a hotel, you must sign on the door of your room

It has become a tradition that crew members leave their autographs on the wall in the museum at Baikonur and on the doors of the room in the hotel at Baikonur where they spent their last night before the start (they should never be erased).

Like the trees in Cosmonauts Alley, these signatures bear witness to the longevity of Soviet and Russian space programs. In addition, upon return, crew members often sign on the charred body of their space capsule.

6. Coins and a priest

It is considered bad luck if the crew members see how the rocket is taken out to launch pad, so they try to keep them away from this place.

Like the crew, the engineers, maintenance personnel, and relatives of astronauts also have their own traditions.

"Soyuz" is transported from the hangar along the railway track. This happens painfully slowly: it takes a diesel locomotive several hours to deliver the rocket to the launch site. When the train is a few centimeters from the launch pad, those present place coins on the rails, which must be flattened by the wheels. It is believed that this will bring good luck to the flight.

By the way, as soon as the rocket is on the launch pad, it is consecrated by an Orthodox priest. He also blesses the crew (this tradition is not as old as many others).

7. Soft toy

Look into the interior of the capsule in the video during any Russian rocket launch and you'll notice a cute plush toy hanging from the dashboard. During the recent launch of Expedition 40 to the ISS, it was a giraffe owned by the daughter of NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Reid Wiseman took his daughter's toy giraffe into orbit

Toys are not only a talisman, they have an important purpose. When the launch vehicle burns out and the Soyuz enters orbit, the toys "float" up and hang in the air, showing the crew that they are already in weightlessness.

This is somewhat reminiscent of using a canary in a mine to monitor air quality, although in our space case, any toy will do.

8. CD with Russian love songs

As far as we know, in the entire history of Soviet and Russian cosmonautics, only four cosmonauts have died in the performance of a mission: the pilot spaceship Soyuz-1 Vladimir Komarov in 1967 and three members of the Soyuz-11 crew in 1971. No other country can boast such a remarkable security record, and the Russians are keen to maintain it.

Image copyright AP Image caption Beetle at Baikonur? There is no such tradition! Or is there anyway?

The logic of the appearance of superstitions is simple: if something related to the flight was done in a certain way and the flight was successful, then it is necessary to repeat this next time. Why take the risk of changing something? One of these traditions was established by the very first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

In April 1961, Gagarin was seated, fastened by seat belts, in a capsule on the launch pad. The hatch had already been battened down, all checks were completed, and the ship was ready to fly. Since there was nothing to see on the dashboard a few centimeters from his face, Gagarin asked the mission control center to turn on some music over the intercom. The choice fell on a collection of Russian love songs.

Exactly the same thing is happening today, although the choice of music is now much wider, and the wishes of the entire international crew are taken into account. For every Russian love song, there must be at least one performance of Rocket Man or, say, German techno.

9. Empty your bladder

Apparently, the strangest, in the opinion of a Westerner, tradition of the Soviet-Russian space program also goes back to Gagarin. They say that on the way to the launch pad, he asked the bus driver to stop. Gagarin got out of the car and urinated on the rear right wheel. They say this tradition goes back to the time of the Great Patriotic War when military pilots seemed to act.

In 1961, this made sense: the world's first astronaut did not want droplets of urine floating inside his capsule in zero gravity. Today, when astronauts wear diapers and are packed in three-layer spacesuits that are checked for leaks before boarding the bus, this makes no practical sense.

However, the male astronauts still get off the bus, unzip their spacesuit, and relieve themselves on the rear right tire. The suit technicians then have to repack them. Female astronauts have been known to take a vial of urine with them to splash onto the wheel.

About the author. Richard Hollingham is a journalist and host of the Space Explorers podcast. He edits the Space:UK magazine of the British Space Agency, is a commentator on European Space Agency launches and is a science programmer on BBC Radio.

Strange as it may seem, but astronautics - an area where the most complex and latest technologies reign - is also an area associated with a mass of strict traditions and even superstitions. Everyone who goes into space must perform a lot of complex rituals, otherwise the flight will turn into a disaster.

Charms, songs and worship of the spirit of Gagarin - all this is included in the indispensable set of actions that the future cosmonaut must perform.

However, if you think about it, all this is not so unexpected: the laws of psychology are almost as immutable as the physical principles. So, it is known that superstitions are especially great in those areas of activity where one is experiencing especially high stress - for example, speaking in public or working at a risk to one's life. There is plenty of the latter even in modern astronautics: out of 483 people who, according to official data, have been in space, 18 have died. The mortality rate, therefore, is 3.74% - this makes astronautics one of the most professions in the world. For example, the death rate among the US military during the war in Iraq (2003-2006) was 0.39%, and in Vietnam (1966-1972) - 2.18%.

Given this danger, it is not surprising that astronauts feel calmer and psychologically more comfortable, actively "protecting themselves" from mortal danger with the help of all kinds of rituals, talismans and amulets. This is the need of our psyche - in case of danger, turn to the force "capable" of deflecting the blows of fate.

Another reason for the active superstitions and rituals is what is called "corporate spirit". Astronauts, of course, belong to an elite closed professional group and, therefore, psychologically need signs and symbols that would separate them from other "mortals" and distinguish them from them. This function is partly taken over by the joint performance of seemingly meaningless rituals. Their members strengthen the internal cohesion of the team, emphasizing their uniqueness.

The most interesting (and the most numerous) superstitions exist in Russian astronautics. Some of them already belong to our days, some originate from the Soviet era and the first manned flights into space, and some are even based on very old Orthodox views.

A number of traditions and superstitions originate from Sergei Korolev, some of them have already become a thing of the past, while others exist to this day. So, the first general designer considered Mondays unlucky, and never scheduled launches for this week. For some time, mustachioed cosmonauts were not allowed into space: in 1976, during a flight, the mustachioed cosmonaut Vitaly Zholobov felt so bad that the mission had to be interrupted ahead of schedule. Today this tradition has become a thing of the past.

Some superstitions in Russian cosmonautics are borrowed from the fleet. Historically, astronauts, as a rule, were recruited from pilots of the Navy - and part of the traditions cannot be called anything other than "marine". So, for a long time it was believed that a woman on board is an unkind sign not only for a sea ship, but also for a space one. It's funny, but after April 19, 2008, when the Soyuz TMA-11 descent capsule made a "hard" landing along a ballistic trajectory and 400 km from its destination, it had a crew of 2 women and 1 man. Speaking on this occasion, the head of Roscosmos, Anatoly Perminov, said, in particular: “Of course, in the future we will work to ensure that the number of women on board does not exceed the number of men.”

Today, the ritual that precedes being sent into orbit begins as early as in Star City near Moscow, where the cosmonauts underwent lengthy training. The future crew visits the memorial, dedicated to memory Yuri Gagarin, as well as the first cosmonauts who died during space missions - Vladimir Komarov (the flight of his Soyuz-1 spacecraft was generally full of failures, due to which the flight was terminated ahead of schedule; the parachute system did not work on landing), as well as Georgy Dobrovolsky, Viktor Patsaev and Vladislav Volkov (during the return from orbit of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft, all three died due to depressurization of the capsule). Here, astronauts always leave flowers - always red carnations.

Then they go to Yuri Gagarin's office, which is carefully preserved in the form in which the first cosmonaut left it, and enter their words in the visitor's book. According to rumors, they also mentally appeal to the spirit of Gagarin, asking him for permission to fly. This ghost will accompany them in the future - we will meet with him again.

Arriving at Baikonur, the team traditionally moves into the Cosmonaut Hotel, which over the years has become so overgrown with countless superstitions and legends that if in 11 years (as planned) manned flights begin from the new Vostochny Cosmodrome, the hotel may have to be moved there. In front of its building stretched an alley of trees, each of which was planted by an astronaut who returned safely from orbit. Future space crew necessarily takes a walk along the alley, thereby, as it were, appealing to the souls of the astronauts and taking over a piece of their luck.

The closer the launch, the more sophisticated the rituals become, and the level of superstition rises. The Soyuz rocket rolls out to the launch site 48 hours before this moment. Technicians who monitor the passage of a huge rocket on a special train put coins on the rails - also for good luck. But the ship's crew itself is strictly forbidden to observe this process - like the groom to see the bride in festive attire before the wedding - otherwise they will fail. But future cosmonauts are obliged to have their hair cut this time. This, in turn, is reminiscent of monastic vows: in this way, the astronauts renounce everything earthly. Their life from now on is only in space.

Never, never is the launch set for October 24th. This one has been considered unsuccessful since the very first years of Soviet cosmonautics. In 1960, an experimental R-16 rocket exploded at Baikonur right on the launch pad, killing 72 (according to other sources - 125), including Marshal Mitrofan Nedelin, commander of the Strategic Missile Forces. Three years later, it was on this same day that a fire broke out in one of the mines where the R-9 combat missile was located; 7 people died. Since then, this date has been a “dead day” for Russian cosmonautics, no launches have been made.

Well, today, the day before the start, the team receives the blessing of an Orthodox priest and is sprinkled with holy water. The hotel always shows the "White Sun of the Desert", and the cosmonauts must be present at the session. This tradition is also associated with tragic death of the crew of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft: everyone was literally waiting for the next flight with bated breath, and when it passed safely, they took note of some of the actions that “brought good luck” to the crew. In particular, it turned out that it was the "White Sun of the Desert" that the astronauts watched before launch, and this became a tradition. Some time ago, before the start, the crew even took a playful quiz on the knowledge of this film. The questions in it, however, are designed exclusively for experts - for example, "What was the name of Abdullah's third wife?"

Finally, the big day arrives. At breakfast, the cosmonauts take a sip of champagne (the backup team drinks 100 grams of technical alcohol each) and leave autographs on the doors of their rooms. Their departure is accompanied by the song of the once super-popular group "Earthlings"; the song itself, however, is still popular today: "Grass near the house."

Everyone is loaded into a bus, decorated with horseshoes for good luck, and on the way to the launch pad they again listen to the "spirit of Gagarin", whether he allows them to go into space. And so, they arrive - after getting off the bus, the whole team repeats the famous action performed by Gagarin himself before the flight: it irrigates the rear right wheel. It is understood that women, if any, in the carriage, are relieved of the obligation to perform this ritual, although some of the most superstitious of them are said to have prepared a jar of urine beforehand and sprinkled it. Some women - like Anouseh Ansari, the first female tourist in orbit - have done this "mentally". And the first Malaysian cosmonaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, recalled that it took him minutes to unbutton - and the same time to fasten, but at the same time he "really liked" the execution of the tradition.

And now the crew commander gives a report to a suitable official present at the cosmodrome. He announces his readiness for the mission and receives the "go-ahead" to go on board. At the same time, everyone needs to repeat Gagarin's famous gesture - to wave his hand. In response, they do not say goodbye to them: a bad omen.

The backup team, which in the meantime was training on the ship, makes room and goes out to the journalists. There is about half an hour before the start, and the understudies must perform their ritual duties: a little drink for success with the journalists present. They say that twice the astronauts did not observe this tradition, and the launches were unsuccessful.

According to legend, this tradition was founded not by cosmonauts, but by journalists - Georgy Loria, a correspondent for the Leninskaya Smena newspaper, and Yaroslav Nechesa, head of the Baikonur press center. Being present at the launch to the Mir station in March 1992, they were quite cold and went to “warm up” in the buffet, where the Soyuz TM-14 crew doubles Anatoly Solovyov and Sergey Avdeev unexpectedly came out. They did not refuse the offer to drink, and when they all drank, Loria, looking at his watch, remarked: “There is still half an hour before the start.”

At the Plesetsk cosmodrome, before launching a launch vehicle, they always write “Tanya” on it - they say that this name was brought out on the first rocket by an officer in love with a certain Tanya. Once they forgot to write the cherished - the rocket exploded during the launch.

Well, in the meantime, the landing of the main crew begins, and the astronauts are left with the last thing: a talisman. Each team has its own, and its choice is the prerogative of the captain. As a rule, it is a small toy attached to a cable, and its common name is "Boris". "Boris" is mounted in the command compartment so that it can be seen by cameras monitoring the crew during launch and orbit. "Boris" is a hybrid of superstition and practical use. It serves not only as a talisman for the team, but also as a simple "beacon" for ground services, showing whether the ship has reached a height where the earth's gravity is practically no longer active: here the toy stops hanging and begins to "levitate".

On board the orbital station, the team is also traditionally greeted with bread and salt. Well, upon returning to Earth, the crew again performs a lot of rituals: they sign on the soot-covered shell of the descent capsule and inside the cabin of the helicopter that picked them up. A specially prepared bottle of vodka is also drunk, on which all members of the crew signed before the start. On the same alley in Baikonur, they are already planting their own tree, which will weave their votes to help the next crews. And everything ends again in Star City, paying tribute to Yuri Gagarin, who provided the travelers with such significant support.

Rockets named "Tanya" have been sent from the world's northernmost cosmodrome "Plesetsk" for several decades. The commanders of the nuclear submarine in every possible way avoid going to sea on Mondays. Strange signs and superstitions in the most advanced and technological areas - what is it, dense backwardness or is there a reason?

Rogozin will send Americans into space on a trampoline

Note that most of all will take, superstitions, beliefs and craze occurs precisely among astronauts and submariners.

As for Tanya. Meter letters are written three hours before the start - and the special chic is that the authorities officially do not allow anything to be written on the rocket, but some daredevils do it anyway, clinging to the pre-launch scaffolding.

Retired and active military from Plesetsk say that such an unspoken rule still applies there. "Artists" who undertook to display four letters on the body of the rocket are not punished. Tradition, however...

Cosmodrome old-timers say that the inscription first appeared on March 17, 1966, when the Cosmos-112 spacecraft was first put into orbit from the Plesetsk launch pad. At that time, a pretty manager, whose name was Tatyana, allegedly worked in a local canteen, and the name on the rocket was brought out by an officer in love with her.

According to the second version, the inscription is dedicated to the daughter of the commander of the test unit, Vladimir Tatyankin. Another suggestion: Tanya is a nickname that was given to the commander himself because of the surname given by his subordinates. However, there is no official confirmation of these stories.

Now, as the northern spaceport workers themselves say, the name "Tanya" is written by one of the servicemen of the combat crew during the preparation of the rocket for launch. Moreover, he never receives official permission for "art"!

"Alcoholic" traditions are also known - the first time you can "drink" 12 days before the start, when the main and backup crews arrive at Baikonur for "imprisonment". Double astronauts are required to pass 100 grams of pure industrial alcohol. The "main cast" can only drink a sip of champagne.

Before the start, the crew receives from the chief ... a friendly kick. And yet, all members of the expedition must sign on a bottle of vodka, which they drink already on the ground, in the Kazakh steppe, after a successful flight.

What is curious is that Russian cosmonauts and rocket scientists have no special superstitions associated with the 13th, and we definitely do not have any insanity on "Friday the 13th". But the submariners are afraid of this day.

Going to sea on Friday, and even more so on Friday the 13th, must be postponed under any pretext - this is what various father commanders in submarines taught. It’s bad to go to sea on Monday, it’s good on Thursday.

On a warship, not only an underwater one, you need to step exclusively with your right foot. If you hear someone on the deck whistling or see that he is spitting on her - immediately give her lips, regardless of rank and title.

A woman on board a warship is traditionally considered a bad omen, and this is only on Russian fleet. However, a child on a ship is, as it were, fortunately. Do not offend ship cats, especially completely black ones - it is fraught.

Astronauts are considered perhaps the most superstitious people on the planet. Traditionally, they take a sprig of wormwood with them on a flight, as it retains its smell longer than other plants and reminds of the Earth, and it is customary to escort the crew to the launch complex to the song "Earth in the window".

Black Mondays and Unlucky Dates

The beginning of "cosmic superstitions" was laid by the famous General Designer Sergei Korolev. It is authentically known that Korolev did not like starts on Mondays and always postponed the date if it fell on a Monday. Why - and remains a big mystery. Nevertheless, Korolev defended his point of view at the very top, because of this, serious conflicts even flared up. Spaceships did not fly on Mondays in the Soviet Union - the first three years of the space age. Then they began to fly, which caused 11 accidents. Since 1965, Monday has been considered in the Soviet, and now Russian cosmonautics, almost the official "not starting" day.

There are also "unlucky dates" in Baikonur. The start is never scheduled for October 24th. On this day, no serious work is carried out at the launch pads at all. On October 24, 1960, an R-16 ICBM launch vehicle exploded at the Baikonur launch pad, killing dozens of people. On October 24, 1963, an R-9A rocket flared up on the launch pad. Eight people were burned.

Happy Operator

Another superstition of the famous designer was the "happy" operator, who always pressed the "start" button on command, Captain Smirnitsky. Not a single rocket launch was complete without Smirnitsky. Even when he had eczema, he still pressed the button, because Korolev believed that that person had a "light hand".

The same Korolev strictly forbade one of his designers to appear on the launch pad during launch (once some kind of trouble occurred during his duty) and personally made sure that he did not even show his nose.

autographs

Astronauts never sign autographs before their first flight. Some fundamentally avoid signing in black ink. However, the entire crew must sign on a bottle of vodka, which they drink already on the ground, in the Kazakh steppe, after a successful flight.

Cosmonauts are happy to leave autographs on the door of the hotel room, where they spend the night before the launch. It is strictly forbidden to paint over or wash off these autographs.

woman on board

They say that because of superstitions, they were afraid to send Valentina Tereshkova into space - everyone remembered the old sea sign about a woman on a ship. But the Soviet leadership did not differ in superstition. In 1963, on the eve of the international conference of women in Moscow, it was a woman who was supposed to fly into space.

Themselves with mustaches

Mustaches were not allowed into space for a long time. During the flight of the mustachioed Viktor Zholobov, there were problems, and the program had to be terminated ahead of schedule.

Other astronaut oddities

Astronauts will never call the launch of any spacecraft "the last one": for example, "the last launch to the Mir station..." they will prefer to call it "extreme", "final". Also, astronauts never say goodbye to those who see them off.

At the cosmodrome in Plesetsk, before the launch of the launch vehicle, they always write "Tanya" on it. They say that this name was brought out on the first rocket by an officer in love with a certain Tanya. Once, when they forgot to print a happy name on the body, the rocket exploded before launch.

Before launch, astronauts must watch "White Sun of the Desert".

It is considered a rule for astronauts to pee on the wheel of the bus that takes them to the launch pad. After that, the spacesuit is tightly fastened with it, and the next opportunity to relieve it will present itself only after a few hours already at open space. The ritual seems to have gone since the time of Yuri Gagarin and is still maintained. Others consider the founder of this tradition to be the general designer Sergei Korolev, who always irrigated the rocket before launch.