International media speculate that three Russian astronauts chose outfits in yellow and blue, resembling the colors of the Ukrainian flag, when they set off for the International Space Station (ISS) on March 18.
The astronauts – Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov – did not make any statements regarding whether this move had any political implications. Nevertheless, the bright colors of their suits are quite different from the usual attire of astronauts, according to the New York Times.
Russian astronauts on the ISS. (Photo: New York Times).
When asked about their outfits, Artemyev stated that the color choice was made by the three astronauts.
“It was our turn to choose the color. However, in reality, we had accumulated quite a bit of yellow material, so we needed to use it. That’s why we wore yellow,” Artemyev said, according to the Guardian.
According to Eric Berger, a reporter who specializes in space coverage, astronaut suits are typically prepared several months in advance. However, they can also be added to the luggage later.
Jonathan McDowell, a scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the United States, suggested that these colors might represent Bauman Moscow State Technical University, where all three astronauts studied. This is the first time a crew from this university has traveled together on a spacecraft.
Nonetheless, Berger noted that the colors of the suits appear to resemble the Ukrainian flag more closely.
The astronauts departed at 20:55 local time on March 18 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and arrived at the ISS more than three hours later. Prior to their arrival, there were already seven astronauts from Russia, the United States, and Germany working on the ISS.
