NASA is still unwilling to reveal why one of his astronauts had to be mysteriously hospitalized overnight after the delayed return of members of SpaceX’s Crew-8 mission on October 25. However, three out of four of them spoke about readjusting to life on Earth after months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). ) has been in recent weeks after the launch of the spacecraft ditching off the coast of Florida last month.

Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps led the NASA press conference Fridayon November 8, while their teammate, Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, “did not participate due to his travel schedule,” according to an official press release. The Crew-8 quartet spent 235 days in space and was launched on March 3. Their final round trip was postponed for several reasons, notably because of the Boeing. Starliner spacecraft. Problems with this latest commercial capsule, including propellant malfunctions and helium leaks, further delayed Sunita “Suni” Williams and the return of Barry “Butch” Wilmore to Earth also after their takeoff in early June.

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NASA astronauts and SpaceX Crew-8 members describe their readjustment to the Earth environment

Exposed to a zero-gravity environment for months, Dominick, Barratt and Epps finally spoke about readjusting to their home environment during Friday’s conference. “I’m flying for the first time and I’m fascinated by rehabilitation,” said Mission Commander Matthew Dominick. “The big things you expect: to be disoriented, to feel dizzy. But the little things like just sitting on a hard chair… My butt hasn’t really sat on a hard thing in (235) days.

The NASA astronaut also explained how a recent outdoor family dinner forced him to lie down on a towel in the yard after his sitting position caused discomfort.

He joked that the book he had read before did not mention the difficulties of sitting on a hard chair after his space trip.

Epps added: “The weight and heaviness of things is just surprising. » Despite the urge to lie down, she also stressed the importance of exercising every day after returning to Earth. “(I) took every chance I had. But you have to move and exercise every day, otherwise you won’t get those gains. You need to move, even if you feel exhausted.

Details of astronaut hospitalized overnight remain a mystery

The three NASA astronauts have repeatedly declined to comment on their hospitalization. The US government agency is also remaining tight-lipped about the identity of the unspecified crew member (although listed as NASA personnel) who had to briefly extend his hospital visit. The other three were released the same day. Although these hospital visits were repeatedly characterized as mysterious or unexpected, it was reiterated that such medical examinations were nothing out of the ordinary after long-duration space missions.

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CNN reported that this case is particularly eyebrow-raising because the astronauts were not directly returned to their base in Houston after landing. They had to be redirected to a local hospital before anything else. On top of that, a mystery member of the quartet had to stay in the hospital overnight, followed by a minimal update that he was “in stable condition” and “under observation as a precaution.”

Barratt, a physician and veteran Crew-8 pilot, doubled down on prioritizing “medical confidentiality,” saying details would eventually come to light “over time.” He said: “Medical confidentiality and the processes we currently follow deny our ability to (discuss the problem). »

While Crew-8 was stuck in space, Williams and Wilmore’s Starliner was returned empty to the home planet to prioritize their safety. Therefore, the launch of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission was delayed as NASA enlisted it for the Starliner astronaut rescue mission. Ultimately, Crew-9 had to arrive before Crew-8 could begin its return journey to complete a handover.

The Crew-8 mission also suffered a delay of several weeks due to the chaos caused by the hurricane in early October.