An astronaut has shared one of the most difficult aspects of living in outer space.
We all know how much rigorous training astronauts need to do before a mission.
But it turns out coming back to Earth is just as tough.
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Frank Rubio is one of the most experienced astronauts out there.
He holds the US record for the most consecutive days spent in space, a whopping 371.
Somewhat surprisingly, it wasn’t Rubio’s intention to set such an impressive record.
He was only supposed to be up there for six months but had to extend his trip due to maintenance issues.
Space is so tough on the body that an astronaut essentially returns to Earth as a changed person.
This is why astronauts undergo such intense training to get ready for missions.
They need to prepare for everything, from the simple act of walking to learning how to sleep in space.
It turns out that once their mission is complete, they need to learn how to adjust to Earth too.
Frank Rubio told PBS that it’s taken hard work to return to life on land since his record-breaking trip.
“It’s a matter of getting the muscles and bones back into shape,” he said.
An astronaut’s bone density takes a serious hit while in outer space.
When on Earth, actions like walking and standing place stress on bones, which keeps them strong.
Rubio did two hours a day of intense resistance training while in space to combat this.
“I actually lost very little bone density because I was able to stay diligent,” he said.
Even so, it took him over four months after returning to Earth to feel like he had fully regained his strength.
If a trained astronaut struggled that much, you have to wonder how the first set of space tourists are finding the experience.
