British astronaut Tim Peake is about to complete his six-month space mission on Saturday, and is currently preparing to leave the space station to return to Earth on 18 June.
The British astronaut will land in the steppes of Kazakhstan, along with two other astronauts on Saturday morning. From there, Tim will leave for the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, for medical checkups and research into how astronauts adapt to microgravity conditions in space.
Tim became the first official British astronaut to visit space in December last year. In the past six months, he has taken part in over thirty scientific experiments for “Principia mission” while also testing different technologies in space. One scientific experiment carried out by Tim included measuring electromagnetic radiation on the sun.
One of the most memorable moments during Major Peake’s stay on board ISS was his space walk that he performed along with colleague Tim Kopra to replace a defective component installed on the exterior of ISS. He also posted a “selfie” to mark the occasion.
In April this year, Peake ran the London marathon from space and completed the 42-km race on a treadmill.
Although Major Peake was expected to return to Earth at the beginning of this month, his trip was extended for a couple of few days.
“Although I am looking forward to being back on Earth and seeing friends and family again, each day spent living in space is a huge privilege and there is much work to do on the Station,” Peake commented.
“This extension will keep the Station at a full crew of six for several days longer, enabling us to accomplish more scientific research. And, of course, I get to enjoy the beautiful view of planet Earth for a little while longer”.
After returning to his home at West Country, Tim’s family and home comforts will definitely help the astronaut in the process of readjustment.
Last week, Peake had said in an interview that he has missed rain the most in the past six months.
“This is going to sound truly remarkable but I most miss the rain,” he told journalists.
“Perhaps that’s because I haven’t had a shower for six months. The feeling of nice cold drizzle on my face right now actually sounds blissful.”
However, the fact is that Tim could feel rain as painful after he returns to Earth. Because astronauts lose skin cells during spaceflight, their skin softens on their hands and soles of their feet.
Major Peake could also experience Entry Motion Sickness (EMS) after returning to Earth, with symptoms including dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting.
Slowly, his body will start adjusting to the gravity of Earth, and this adjustment could take anything from six weeks to three years. He can also experience difficulty in speaking as his lips and tongue have become used to speaking in weightlessness. About 80% of the astronauts returning to Earth from space also experience low blood pressure which hinders their ability to do a variety of functions, including walking, driving, etc.
Major Peake could also need glasses or contact lenses for proper vision on Earth. It has been observed that near and distance vision become worse for nearly 50% of the astronauts who had brief space missions. Although many astronauts find their vision getting better over a period of time, some are left with permanent blurred vision.
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