Cosmonauts ready to launch to the ISS refuse Russian COVID-19 vaccine — Sputnik V

Astronauts routinely undergo a quarantine period before blasting off to space.

|Sep 25, 2020, 12:21:03 IST

Russian cosmonauts set to blast off for the International Space Station said on Thursday it was too early to get a coronavirus vaccine touted by President Vladimir Putin."I'd personally say that I would not get vaccinated because I tread very carefully on this issue," said Sergei Ryzhikov, the 46-year-old leader of the next expedition to the ISS in October.He and other cosmonauts wore face masks at the Star City training centre outside Moscow during an online news conference.[caption id="attachment_6553071" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

The International Space Station the only space station still in use.[/caption]The cosmonaut's comments came after Putin touted Russia's coronavirus vaccine developed in record time and named "Sputnik V" after the Soviet-era satellite that was the first launched into space in 1957."As soon as the vaccine is tried and tested and proves its reliability then a decision will be taken to recommend that cosmonauts get vaccinated," said fellow cosmonaut, 37-year-old Sergei Kud-Sverchkov.He said the decision was down to the doctors in charge of cosmonauts' healthcare including immunisation.Russia has raised concerns among Western scientists by announcing that its vaccine had received approval before full clinical trials have been completed.While the vaccine showed promising results in early trials, Russia has not yet completed the final phase of clinical testing, in which large numbers of people receive either the vaccine or a placebo.Nevertheless, Russia has already vaccinated high-profile officials including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Putin has said that one of his daughters was vaccinated, suffering only a mild reaction.Astronauts routinely undergo a quarantine period before blasting off to space."The International Space Station is the safest place now," Ryzhikov added. "We don't have to be vaccinated because we strictly follow all sanitary rules."Also Read: Russia 'Sputnik V' vaccine promises to help people develop immunity against COVID-19 for two years: Here's all you need to knowRussia’s Sputnik V vaccine could produce antibodies, didn’t show any adverse effects in Phase 1, 2 human trials

Careless Whispers: Scientists discover that plants can 'talk' to each other using smells

Japanese scientists have recorded a video that shows plants, in certain conditions, communicate with each other using mists that carry smells. The discovery, reveals that plants release a fine mist of airborne compounds, to warn nearby plants of potential dangers

Life on Mars? European Space Agency’s Orbiter discovers ice water deposits at equator

European Space Agency's Mars Express Orbiter has identified massive ice and ice water deposits beneath the surface of Mars. The Mars Express orbiter was also the first to confirmed the presence of ice on Mars in 2004

Microsoft briefly overtakes Apple as the most valuable company, Apple back on top again

At its peak during the session, Microsoft's value reached $2.903 trillion, with a 2% surge. As of writing this article, Apple closed at $2.89 trillion, whereas Microsoft closed at $2.86 trillion

Even NASA is facing a tough time, starts layoffs following major budget cuts

NASA is facing some massive budget cuts, because of which, it has been forced to postpone some upcoming missions. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been hit hard by recent federal budget cuts, resulting in the layoff of 100 contractors last week

ISRO, NASA's NISAR satellite to get ready by Jan-end, will monitor Earth's snow-covered regions

The NISAR satellite which has been developed jointly ISRO and NASA, should be ready for launch by the end of January 2024. The collaboration between NASA and ISRO on NISAR is the first time the two agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission

Up Next