Astronaut Haig commented on receiving the Order of Courage

He noted that it was “a great honor for him to receive the Russian Order of Courage.”

“I will wear it with pride as a sign of respect to my commander Alexei Ovchinin and the search and rescue services, thanks to which we were able to return home to our family and friends,” the astronaut wrote.

Earlier it was reported that Russian leader Vladimir Putin awarded Haig with the Order of Courage.