Probably everyone on the planet wondered what it would be like to be in outer space. Astronauts live and work on the International Space Stations for six months so those that are really curious about what life would be out there already asked Scott Tingle, a Nasa astronaut, to tell them about his first spaceflight and more.
At first, he was asked about food, particularly what did he crave the most after he became accustomed to eating space food. To this, he answered that he really wanted a hamburger and one he returned home, he had one.
What questions would you ask an astronaut after their first spaceflight?
Join @Astro_Maker for a @reddit_AMA on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 3pm ET as he takes your questions about adjusting to being back on Earth after spending six months living & working on the @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/L9gLQdcwwW
— NASA (@NASA) September 10, 2018
When it came to muscle memory, the user mugenhunt asked Scott ‘how long did it take to remember to catch things after letting go of them’. Slightly amused, Mr. Tingle answered that, in fact, they are trained to not let go of things in space as the airflow will move those objects away from them. In the end, he stated that he needed a week or two to readjust to how gravity works on Earth.
Not straying far from this subject, VGooseV asked how he felt after he returned on Earth, from a physical point of view, and if it found it hard to readjust. At first, according to Tingle, he didn’t feel anything bad but after his back adjusted to gravity, he began to experience fatigue and some pain as well. However, Nasa’s wonderful reconditioning program allowed his back to be brought back to normal in almost 7 weeks.
Lilyhunter1992 made things a little more personal, asking Scott what he missed doing the most, to which he replied riding his motorcycle. Another user asked him if he can exercise up there and he reassured everyone by saying that astronauts train for approximately 2.5 hours a day, the ISS being more than equipped to ensure a healthy lifestyle for its inhabitants.
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