Earlier this week, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryazansky made a live video call from Everest Base Camp to the International Space Station (ISS). A few years ago, Ryazansky photographed Everest from space and wanted to see what it looked like from ground level. He shared his findings via Starlink with fellow cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky on the ISS.
Sergey Ryazansky took this photo of the Himalaya from space a couple of years ago. Photo: Everest Today
“Sergey Ryazansky showed his ISS friends what it’s like at Everest Base Camp,” said Mingma Gelu Sherpa, head of 7 Summit Club, the group organizing the trip.
Ryazansky, 50, is an experienced cosmonaut who has spent 305 days in space over two ISS missions. In 2013, he was in orbit for 166 days and did two spacewalks. In 2017, he spent 139 days on the ISS and did another spacewalk. He has a PhD in biology and studied how the human body works in space.
Showing Everest and Base Camp from Earth. Frame of a video by klub_7_vershin/Instagram
Now, Ryazansky is part of a 12-person Russian team climbing Everest, led by Alex Abramov. This might be Ryazansky’s first major climb, but his cosmonaut training, which includes grueling physical tests, will likely help.
Using Starlink for the call caused some issues. Climbers praised Starlink’s fast internet as a game-changer, but Nepal’s Telecommunications Authority said Starlink isn’t allowed and ordered it stopped, according to The Himalayan Times.
During the video chat, the cosmonauts filmed the Himalaya from space, partly shrouded in clouds. Frame of a video/ISS
Last year, SpaceX’s Tyler Carnevale tested Starlink on Everest but couldn’t connect live with Elon Musk.
While Ryazansky climbs, Ryzhikov and Zubritsky are on the ISS for an eight-month mission that started April 8. They will do 50 experiments before returning to Earth in December.
If Sergey Ryazansky summits Everest, he’ll be the closest person on Earth to his ISS colleagues orbiting 408km above.
Chatting with the ISS from the tent in Everest Base Camp. Frame of a video posted on Instagram by klub_7_vershin
