Have you ever wondered what astronauts look like when they return to Earth after completing their space missions? Will they be so excited that they want to jump out of the capsule immediately to embrace their loved ones waiting for them? Will they feel relaxed and eager to share their experiences right away?
If you’ve had such thoughts, you might be disappointed. Because astronauts cannot exit the capsule immediately after returning to Earth, and they cannot stand up right away either. They need to undergo a series of tests and recovery procedures before they can adapt to Earth’s gravity and environment. This process can take several hours or even days.
Astronauts returning to Earth. (Illustrative photo).
Returning astronauts to Earth is a very complex and dangerous process, requiring them to undergo tests in extreme environments such as high temperatures, high pressure, high speeds, and high acceleration. These conditions significantly impact the physical and psychological well-being of astronauts.
After a spacecraft successfully lands, astronauts cannot exit the vehicle immediately. They must wait for ground rescue teams to arrive, open the capsule, help them out of their seats, carry them on stretchers, and take them to medical vehicles for examination.
The first priority is to ensure the safety of the astronauts. During the return journey, astronauts may experience injuries or discomfort such as dizziness, faintness, tinnitus, chest tightness, palpitations, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms can arise from changes in gravity, temperature, air pressure, and acceleration. If not examined and treated promptly, they could lead to more serious consequences.
The second priority is to ensure their adaptation capabilities. The longer astronauts spend in space, the more their ability to adapt to Earth’s gravity diminishes. This is due to the fact that in a microgravity environment, the human body undergoes several physiological changes, including smaller hearts, slower blood circulation, lower blood pressure, muscle atrophy, osteoporosis, and imbalance of receptors.
Astronauts onboard a spacecraft.
These changes can make it difficult for astronauts to adjust to Earth’s gravity immediately upon return, causing symptoms like dizziness, unsteadiness, and difficulty walking. Without proper recovery care, the astronauts’ health and work could be adversely affected.
After astronauts return to Earth, they must undergo a series of tests and recovery processes. This process can be divided into three stages:
The medical isolation period lasts about 14 days. According to scientists, astronauts may have been exposed to harmful bacteria or unknown factors. Preventing contamination or bringing back any hitchhiking bacteria or unwanted pathogens could be the reason for the need for medical isolation.
Doctors closely monitor the astronauts, while a separate team tests and studies the rocks and dust from the Moon that the astronauts brought back. There is also a desire to protect any potential life forms that could be brought back from the Moon in the lunar samples.
During this stage, astronauts adjust to Earth’s gravitational environment in an astronaut apartment, improve cardiovascular function and support organ function, enhance postural endurance, and relieve fatigue from the flight.
The recovery period lasts about 20 to 30 days. In this stage, astronauts are in a pleasant weather and air environment, gradually increasing their activity level while continuing to recover.
The rehabilitation period lasts about 3 months. During this phase, astronauts must restore various physiological parameters to their pre-flight state.
After these three stages of testing and recovery, astronauts can fully adapt to life on Earth.
