Russian Reverie : Cosmonaut Says Cooperation Could Speed Man to Mars

He avidly reads Shakespearean sonnets. His paintings have been made into postage stamps. And like many starry-eyed kids in this country, he says his real dream is to fly to Mars.

But Maj. Gen. Vladimir Alexandrovich Dzhanibekov is no kid. He’s the Soviet Union’s 44-year-old super cosmonaut and a space hero.

Dzhanibekov, who is chief of the Soviet’s cosmonaut training program, was in Los Angeles on Thursday with American Spacelab 3 astronaut Dr. Taylor G. Wang for a lecture sponsored by the Assn. of Space Explorers. The association, founded three years ago, is an independent organization of 40 astronauts and cosmonauts from 16 nations who promote space exploration.

While the Soviet cosmonaut says that a trip to Mars is unrealistic for himself--”I’ll be too old, maybe on a pension”--he believes it could become “reality for mankind” in the next 10 years, especially if countries would work together on the project.

Dzhanibekov’s first space flight was in 1978 when he commanded Soyuz 27 and docked with orbiting Salyut 6. He and his flight engineer became the first crew to visit an already orbiting crew. He has received his country’s highest honors, including the Order of Lenin five times, and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union twice.

Stresses Cooperation

Dzhanibekov, who with silver hair and piercing blue eyes is handsome enough to be a movie star space hero, continually stressed that mutual cooperation between nations is “good for space and good for mankind.”

The Soviet cosmonaut, who was commander of the joint Soviet-French spaceflight of Soyuz T-6 in 1982, sees such joint efforts as necessary if man is to conquer space.

“If the Soviets and the United States work together on (the) space program it would be much better to solve problems, because we could combine brains and money,” he said.

When Americans and Soviets docked the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts together in 1975, it was a great opportunity to promote more international joint missions, he said.

“However, since that time it has only been an idea on paper. Sooner or later I think we must work together.”

When he received news of the Challenger shuttle disaster, he said, “We had great sorrow. It is times like this when you are not only American, not only Soviet, but we are human beings together.”

Dzhanibekov, whose parents died when he was young (his father was a fireman and his mother a nurse) said he decided he wanted to be a flier when he was in his teens.

“When we put the dog up in Sputnik my dream of connecting with other civilizations in the universe started,” he said.

He studied physics and science at Leningrad University, but quit to become a Soviet Air Force pilot.

Dzhanibekov lives near Moscow in Star City, headquarters of the Soviet space program. He is married to Lilia Munirovna, a music instructor, and they have two daughters.

Teen-Ager Troubles

“Teen-agers,” he said with a laugh. “Trouble in all countries, yes?”

The best part of his lecture tour, he said, “is the hospitality of American families.”

He added that his only regret is not having time to visit some of the country’s museums. Two of his own paintings with space themes have been made into commemorative space stamps in his country.

After accumulating 145 days, 15 hours and 59 minutes in space, he says, the feelings he experienced on his first space mission have only intensified.

“There has been a great change in my own human philosophy,” he said. “In routine life we don’t pay attention to Earth. But when I’m in space and see the planet so beautiful and blue with no borders between, I realize the most serious thing of all is the life of the planet.”

Dzhanibekov, who now directs cosmonaut training (including the crews for the Mir space lab missions which are now under way), says the administrative job is challenging. But years in the pilot seat die hard.

“I’m still flying in my dreams,” he says quietly.