Today is the birthday...

of the worst. astronaut. ever.

Above: A post-fire party aboard Mir. The uninvited Jerry sulks in his bunk while the fun-loving Russians (and a token German) drink водка and, weepy with national pride the knowledge that they came really close to dying, belt out a slurred version of Гимн Советского Союза. Jerry complains that they're being really loud and he's trying to get some sleep, God, it's not easy doing all these science experiments but he guesses they just don't give a care about science at all and how would they like it if he sang real loud or something. They just laugh and Valeri Korzun starts a round of "I'm Henry the Eighth I Am" and everyone joins in except Aleksandr Lazutkin, who's floated off to find a barf bag because even though he's Russian, the stuff never really agreed with him. Probably. I don't know. I wasn't there. But I'll bet.