After 300 Days in Space, Cosmonaut Fatigued, Homesick

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko is suffering from fatigue and homesick for Earth after 300 days aboard the Mir space station, the longest period anyone has remained in orbit, an official in charge of the flight said today.

The official, V. Blagov, told the Trud newspaper that Romanenko’s record-breaking flight has shown that the optimum length of manned space voyages is four to six months.

The cosmonauts aboard Mir are suffering from fatigue and loss of interest in their work, he said.

Romanenko, 43, blasted into space on Feb. 6. His first crew mate, Alexander Laveikin, was brought back to Earth in July after developing an irregular heartbeat and Romanenko was joined by Alexander Alexandrov.