7 Ways Astronaut Scott Kelly Will

Need To Readjust to Earth After 340

Days in Space

While living in space can be similar in many ways to living on Earth,

some things in space are very different. For example, a lack of gravity

means fluids distribute through an astronaut’s body, including their

head, which often keeps astronauts from enjoying subtle flavors in

food. Because the International Space Station is orbiting Earth every

90 minutes, astronauts witness 16 sunrises and sunsets every day.

After a year in space, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has adapted to a

way of life most of us will never experience. When he lands on March

1, here are some of the ways Kelly will need to readapt:

Water

Water’s surface tension doesn’t have to fight gravity in the space

station, allowing water molecules to stick together as they float.

When you watch water molecules float in space, you can imagine why

astronauts use washcloths to keep clean in space rather than a

shower!

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Coffee

The ISSpresso machine on the space station was sent up in 2015 and

works similarly to a normal espresso machine. Astronauts hook up

two bags, one full of water and the other empty. The ISSpresso

machine dispenses the espresso into the empty bag that astronauts
then drink from with a straw.

Sidenote: Although they usually drink from a straw, there is this cool

zero gravity coffee cup that not only makes drinking coffee a little

more Earth-like but also acts as a capillary flow experiment.

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Credits: (left) Linh Nguyen, under the Creative Commons

Eating

Astronauts need to ensure their food doesn’t float away during

mealtime. In addition, they don’t have a refrigerator, so their food is

sent up preserved and reheated, similar to food you might take with

you on a camping trip. Unlike on Earth, astronaut only get fresh fruits

and vegetables when a cargo resupply ship arrives or when they can

grow it themselves . Astronauts use Velcro to keep pouches close,

and eat tortillas instead of bread because tortillas are less crumbly.

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Credits: (left) Kona Gallagher, under the Creative Commons

Sleeping

“Sleeping here is harder here in space than on a bed because the

sleep position here is the same position throughout the day,” Kelly

said during a Reddit AMA. “You don't ever get that sense of gratifying

relaxation here that you do on Earth after a long day at work.” Before

going on his mission Kelly said, “Goodbye bed. I’ll miss your silky

smoothness.”
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Credits: (left) Frank Guido, under the Creative Commons

Gardening

When gardening in space, there are a few things you need: plant

pillows, wicks and LED lights which help deliver the water and light

the plants need in the right amounts at the right time. This leads to

successful lettuce and zinnia growth. But in a controlled environment,

astronauts don’t have to worry about insects eating their plants’

leaves!

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Walking

Going outside for a walk on Earth is relatively safe and easy, and

most of us can wander outside for a ramble whenever we want.

Going outside for a walk in space is hard and requires months of

preparation and lots of hard work. In addition, getting into and out of

the spacesuit that protects the astronauts in the vacuum of space

takes several hours. Stepping out of a spacecraft is inherently

dangerous so every move is carefully planned and practiced for

months on the ground in advance of an excursion in space.

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Stargazing

While astronauts on the space station can see stars from their
vantage point, they often report that their favorite pastime is Earth-

gazing. When Kelly returns, no doubt he’ll get back to what the rest of

us do: stargazing. We imagine he’ll also step outside and spot the

station as it flies overhead, just like you can!

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Kelly will complete his #YearInSpace mission on March 1, but the

science will continue for at least another year and began a year

before he left! Keep up with all the scientific developments and

discoveries from the #YearInSpace by following @ISS_Research and

following the International Space Station on Twitter, Facebook and

Instagram .

Megan Krause

NASA Johnson Space Center

Photos courtesy of Creative Commons: https://creativecommons.org/

licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Last Updated: Aug. 7, 2017

Editor: Gary Jordan