Astronaut explains what a long space mission did to his body : NPR

Two astronauts are back on Earth after what was supposed to be a week aboard the International Space Station turned into nine months.

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore’s capsule splashed down off the Gulf Coast of Florida Tuesday evening. The two blasted off from Earth last June. Fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov also returned.

The astronauts were looking very healthy after their return to Earth, according to the manager of NASA’s commercial crew program. They will undergo a 45-day recovery process as they adjust to life on the planet again.

But what happens to the bodies of astronauts after that much time in space?

Former NASA astronaut Jack Fischer joined Morning Edition to discuss his experience after an extended stay at the International Space Station from April to September in 2017 and his return to Earth. Fischer’s mission was 136 days long, during which he conducted two spacewalks and worked on various experiments.

Here’s what he told us about his time in orbit and the return home:

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

A Martínez: Jack, so tell us about that feeling of landing back on Earth after spending that much time in orbit.

Jack Fischer: It’s a bit provocative. You turn off and start ignoring your equilibrium and your vestibular while you’re in orbit because it just doesn’t work. And then all of a sudden you come back in, the chutes pop and you start rocking around like a crazy rollercoaster ride.

I landed in a Russian Soyuz on land a little bit harder of a pop once you land. But then it stops. And for Suni and Burch and Nick and Aleksandr landing in the water, it’s a little bit smoother. As you hit it, it gives a little more but then you kind of rock. All of that to say that it’s not the most fun thing you’ll ever do, but it’s worth it to come home and get back to your families.

In this Tuesday, May 23, 2017, astronaut Jack Fischer waves while attached to the Destiny laboratory during a spacewalk to replace a failed data relay box and install a pair wireless antennas.

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Martínez: Can you have a beer right away if you wanted to?

Fischer: You know, you could. I landed basically in Russia. So I’m not going to say that no alcohol was involved, but it’s maybe not highly suggested because you’re pretty much already three margaritas in. Your body is very dehydrated. The vestibular, being the way it is, you’re just kind of off balance. So definitely not recommended.

Martínez: So how long before you found your earth legs? How long before you felt sturdy and connected to the planet?

Fischer: It took a few days to a week, and it’s a bit different for everybody. And then the big thing is your flexibility. It’s really awful when you’re on orbit and you come back and all of a sudden your leg weighs 30 pounds again. So you have to work on that. Strength is pretty good, but it’ll take you a good months before you’re up to full fighting form.

Martínez: Does your body get a little taller being in space?

Fischer: Oh my gosh, it does. I’m 5 feet 11 inches and I was over 6 feet for the first time ever. I was 6 feet 1 inches. I’m an old fighter pilot and test pilot, so my back is all messed up. I felt great. I was taller. I get off the plane, I go into the doctor the next day. He’s like, “How tall are you? I’m like, I am the six foot one. Thank you very much. And he looks at me and he’s like, Yeah, let’s measure. And I had already lost it. I was taller for a day.

Martínez: In the days after, say you’re taking a stroll in the evening and you see the night sky, do you ever look up and go, “Oh, I was just there.” Did you miss it?

Fischer: Absolutely. Just watching the space station cross overhead, it’s part of you. It becomes part of you. You miss it. And what an incredible experience.

The radio version of this story was produced by Mansee Khurana and Destinee Adams.