NASA astronauts keep quiet about medical issue returning from ISS

Three NASA astronauts who precocious returned from nan International Space Station (ISS) person said that they are successful bully wellness but person declined to talk nan aesculapian rumor that required them to beryllium diverted to a infirmary pursuing their return to Earth. The astronauts, who were portion of nan Crew-8 mission, landed connected October 25 and were taken for regular aesculapian checkups, aft which nan unit was taken to nan Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola infirmary for further evaluations, and 1 personnel was hospitalized.

NASA has not shared which of nan crew, which included Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin arsenic good arsenic NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps, was hospitalized aliases why. However, nan agency did authorities that nan reentry and splashdown process of their spacecraft was normal and that nan affected unit personnel was released from nan infirmary nan adjacent time successful bully health.

Speaking to nan property connected Friday, November 8, Barratt said that they would not beryllium discussing nan incident successful item owed to aesculapian privacy. “Spaceflight is still thing we don’t afloat understand. We’re uncovering things we didn’t expect sometimes, and this was 1 of those times,” he said. “We’re still piecing things together connected this, and truthful to support aesculapian privateness and to fto our processes spell guardant successful an orderly manner, this is each we’re going to opportunity astir this arena astatine this time.”

He added that accusation astir nan incident would beryllium made disposable successful future: “I’m a aesculapian doctor. Space medicine is my passion. And really we adapt, and really we acquisition quality abstraction flight, is thing we each return very seriously. In nan fullness of time, we will let this to travel retired and archive it. But for now, aesculapian privateness is very important to us.”

The astronauts did talk their experiences pinch adjusting to life connected Earth aft having been successful abstraction for 235 days. The readjustment is typically challenging, pinch issues specified arsenic decreased musculus wide and imagination impairments often occurring during spaceflight.

“I’m a first-time flyer, and I’m fascinated by nan re-adaptation,” said Dominick, who took nan challenges pinch bully humor. “The large things you expect, being disoriented, being dizzy. But nan small things — for illustration conscionable sitting successful a difficult chair. My backside has not sat connected a difficult point for 235 days, and arsenic portion of immoderate investigation activities, I’ve had to beryllium connected a motorcycle for a agelong play of time, and it’s alternatively uncomfortable. I did not expect that.

“There wasn’t a book I publication that said, ‘Hey, you’re going to space, it’s going to beryllium difficult to beryllium connected a difficult chair.'”

The unit offered their acknowledgment to colleagues and their families and emphasized nan immense positivity they felt toward nan ngo wide and nan opportunity to spell to space.

“We worked hard, but we besides enjoyed our clip location thoroughly,” said Epps.