article_snippet: Elena Serova of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) was the first Russian female cosmonaut to work on the orbiting space station in two decades .
article_snippet: Russia's space agency ground personnel check the Soyuz
article_snippet: On 27 March, Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will undertake the first year-long stay aboard the International Space Station, to prepare astronauts for long-duration missions to Mars.
article_snippet: Elena Serova of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) spent 167 days in space on this, Elena Serova of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) first flight.
article_snippet: On 27 March, Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly (left) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko (right) will undertake the first year-long stay aboard the orbiting space station, to prepare astronauts for long-duration missions to Mars .
highlights_snippet: Later this year the first year-long stay on the orbiting space station will be attempted by a US and Russian astronaut .