12 Cool Pieces of Space History You Can See in Russia (and Kazakhstan)

Olympic torch

Elizabeth Howell/Space.com

This Olympic torch was flown to the International Space Station in 2013 ahead of the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Cosmonauts took the torch out on a spacewalk as part of the traditional torch relay. The torch now resides at the RKK Energia Museum in Moscow.

Space-flown Soyuz

Elizabeth Howell/Space.com

Visitors to the RKK Energia Museum in Moscow can climb inside a space-flown Soyuz (which comes equipped with a mannequin). This particular spacecraft, called Soyuz-T3, flew on a 12-day mission starting on Nov. 27, 1980. It also visited the former Soviet Union's Salyut 6 space station.

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Elizabeth Howell
Staff Writer, Spaceflight

Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace