We’ve all dreamt about it – but what is it actually like to be an astronaut?
Scott Kelly returned from his yearlong mission in space at around 11:45PM EST on Tuesday, and he’s revealed it may not be as great as we think.
Last March, Kelly was chosen for an extended tour of the International Space Station to study the effects of long-term spaceflight on the body. On Friday, he held his first press conference and described how gravity is now proving painful, the Daily Mail reports.
He said the length of the mission was the biggest challenge, and that he felt significantly more sore on returning to solid ground than after shorter trips.
He said:
I flew 159 days last time. There is always a certain amount of soreness and fatigue. Initially this time I felt better than last time, but now my level of muscle soreness and fatigue is worse.
I also have an issue with my skin, so it’s very sensitive. It feels like it’s burning. Adjusting to space was a lot easier than adjusting to Earth.
The astronaut’s body has already changed dramatically since his landing – Kelly went back-to-back with his twin brother an hour after his return and he was 1.5 inches taller and, apparently, 1/100th of a second younger. He’s now shrunk back to his normal size though.
Kelly said he doubts he will ever fly with NASA again, but says he’s not 100 per cent done with space travel, either.
He added:
There’s lots of exciting possibilities out there. Maybe in 20 years you’ll be able to find a cheap ticket and go for a little visit.
It sounds like space travel is worth it to me – especially if I get to be inches taller and a little bit younger!
