Science: Return to Earth

Around the world for 175 days

After circling the earth for a record 175 days in their Salyut 6 spacelab, Cosmonauts Vladimir Lyakhov, 38, and Valeri Ryumin, 40, last week landed safely on the Central Asian steppes of Kazakhstan. Unaccustomed to earthly gravity, they quickly settled into reclining chairs, posed cheerfully with a bouquet of gladioli and gamely fielded questions of Soviet journalists. Admitted Ryumin: “It’s hard to get the tongue around words.” But after a night on down-filled mattresses, the new Heroes of the Soviet Union seemed chipper enough to risk a dip in a hotel pool (outfitted with safety netting) and a scorching steam bath.

Barring medical complications, the men seemed to have reaffirmed the ability to live and work in space. Aboard Salyut, they performed such experiments as growing crystals in zero g, jettisoned the tangled antenna of the first radio telescope in orbit during an 83-min. space walk, and docked three times with unmanned Progress spacecraft bringing mail and supplies. For the Soviets, it all meant a major step toward a long-held dream: establishment of permanent manned spacelabs.