How Language and Culture Keep the International Space Station Connected

Highlights

• Clear communication and cultural understanding help international space crews build trust, navigate differences and work toward shared goals.

• Differences in humor, traditions and communication styles can shape daily life and teamwork aboard a spacecraft.

• UCF faculty Alla Kourova and Sanaa Mahroug in the Department of Modern Languages and Literature explain why preparing future space explorers takes more than technical training - it takes language skills and cultural awareness.

Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when UCF was founded in 1963. But we dared to believe - developing the talent and inventing the technologies to make it reality. That same spirit still drives us today.

We are America's Space University. And we celebrate UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what's next.

Houston, do we understand each other?

Imagine living about 250 miles above Earth, traveling at approximately 17,500 mph, surrounded by some of humanity's most sophisticated technology and realizing the person beside you calls a piece of equipment by a different name.

Welcome to the International Space Station (ISS), where rocket science sometimes requires a language lesson.

Understanding one another in space requires linguistic flexibility, cultural awareness and cultural intelligence.

The station is an extraordinary experiment in human communication. Astronauts and cosmonauts from different countries, languages, professional backgrounds, and cultural traditions must live, work, and solve problems together - and occasionally disagree - for months at a time in a confined environment. On Earth, a misunderstanding may lead to an awkward conversation. In space, where procedures can involve complex machinery, scientific experiments or emergency responses, clear communication can become a matter of safety.

This raises an interesting question: What does it really mean to understand one another in space?

The answer involves more than knowing the right vocabulary. It requires linguistic flexibility, cultural awareness, and what we might call cultural intelligence: the ability to observe, question assumptions, and adapt when communicating across cultural boundaries.

Somewhere Between Russian and English

English and Russian have long played central roles aboard the station. The U.S.-led portion operates primarily in English, while Russian is used extensively in the Russian segment and in communications with Russian mission controllers. Crews train in the languages needed to work with international partners, but everyday communication rarely follows a textbook perfectly.

During the first long-duration ISS mission in 2000, crews communicated in a mix of Russian and English they called "Runglish."

During the first long-duration ISS mission in 2000, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev described how the crew communicated using a mixture they jokingly called "Runglish"- part Russian, part English. Krikalev explained that crew members switched between the two languages when they lacked a word in one.

The practice did not disappear with Expedition 1. Astronaut Jeff Williams later described conversations with Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov in much the same way. Each would try to speak the other's language, and together they would simply "work through it."

From a language professor's perspective, this is fascinating. Successful communication doesn't always require linguistic perfection. It requires adaptability. Speakers repeat information, simplify explanations and use shared technical vocabulary to achieve shared understanding.

When "On" and "Off" Become a Language Problem

One story from the Shuttle-Mir program - a 1994-98 space collaboration between the United States and Russia - captures the challenge.

Astronauts encountered the Russian commands включить (vklyuchit' - switch on) and отключить (otklyuchit' - switch off).

To an American ear still learning Russian, these opposite commands could sound uncomfortably similar.

Surely English would solve the problem. But to their Russian colleagues' ears, "on" and "off" could also be surprisingly easy to confuse.

Suddenly, neither language was the "easy" one. We naturally assume our own language, habits and ways of expressing ideas are obvious, but the other person may face the same difficulty from the other direction. Recognizing that is a reason to check understanding before acting.

Language Is Only Half the Conversation

Vocabulary matters, but knowing every word doesn't guarantee understanding someone's intent. People can have different expectations about hierarchy, disagreement, humor or silence. An instruction intended to sound efficient may seem abrupt; a cautious response may be mistaken for uncertainty.

This is where cultural intelligence matters.

Trust also develops in ordinary moments. Space station crews share meals, celebrate holidays and bring traditions from home into orbit. These interactions help them connect beyond their assignments.

Former NASA astronaut Robert Cabana described learning Russian language and culture as part of building trust with Russian colleagues. He explained that even learning enough of another person's language to communicate politely can help break down barriers.

And Then Comes the Matryoshka

One illustration of that connection comes after astronauts return to Earth.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams holds a matryoshka doll presented to him as a gift after he landed aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev on Sunday, July 26, 2026. (Photo courtesy of NASA/Bill Ingalls)

In December 2025, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim returned to Kazakhstan aboard Soyuz MS-27 with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. During 245 days in space, they had orbited Earth 3,920 times and traveled nearly 104 million miles. After landing, Kim displayed a matryoshka, a traditional Russian nesting doll painted in his likeness.

In July 2026, the tradition continued. NASA astronaut Chris Williams returned aboard Soyuz MS-28 after 241 days in space alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. Waiting for them were personalized matryoshkas depicting the crew as welcome-home gifts.

A small cultural object marked the end of an extraordinary technological journey. It shows how culture travels with us, shaping how we recognize one another and find meaning in shared experiences.

From the ISS to UCF and Beyond

At UCF, the connection between language learning and space exploration has particular resonance. As we prepare scientists and engineers to contribute to the future of aerospace and exploration, we can also help them develop the communication skills international collaboration demands.

As future international crews venture farther from Earth, with less immediate support from mission control, they'll need to clarify intentions and navigate differences.

Languages belong in that preparation. An engineer must explain technical decisions. A scientist must work through disagreements with collaborators.

Future international crews may spend longer periods farther from Earth, with less immediate support from mission control. Translation technologies can help with words. Crews will still need to clarify intentions, navigate differences and be willing to ask, "Is that what you mean?"

A Russian language classroom may seem removed from a spacecraft. Yet both ask people to work through unfamiliar ideas and learn from someone whose perspective differs from theirs.

Perhaps the next great challenge in space exploration is not only how far we can travel, but how well we can travel together.

Wherever humanity goes, one question remains useful:

Мы понимаем друг друга?

Do we understand each other?

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