Austrian Space Pioneer Shares Dreamer's Advice in Russian

Franz Viehböck, Austria's first and only astronaut, recently sat down with RIA Novosti and delivered a simple but powerful message to the next generation of space travelers - entirely in Russian. "Dream and follow your dreams!" he said, speaking in the language he learned from scratch during two years of training at Star City.

Viehböck's journey to fluency began in the early 1990s when he prepared for a mission to the Soviet space station Mir. All instruction was conducted in Russian, so he had to master the language from the ground up. Over time, working daily with an international crew turned the once-daunting task into second nature, and Russian became his everyday tongue.

His historic flight took place in 1991, aboard a Soviet spacecraft alongside cosmonauts Alexander Volkov and Toktar Aubakirov. During nearly eight days in orbit, Viehböck conducted experiments in space medicine, physics, and technology. That mission remains the only space flight by an Austrian citizen - a legacy he now hopes will inspire others to reach for the stars.

Source: RIA Novosti