After 328 Days In Space, 11 Ways Christina Koch's Adjusting To Simple Life On Earth

'Space is hard' is something we keep hearing all the time, and nowhere is it more true than for astronauts who live on the International Space Station.

Staying in microgravity might seem like a cool thing in the beginning, but over time, it can completely alter the way you do normal things in life. When the astronaut comes back on Earth, readjusting to gravity becomes equally challenging, among several other things.

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Recently, Christina Koch came back to Earth after being 328 days in space -- longest for any woman in the history of humanity. And these are different ways she's trying to readjust to life back on Earth after such a long stint on the ISS.

Adjusting to weight

With the ISS orbiting around Earth, it doesn¡¯t have any gravity, which means things that seem very heavy on Earth, don¡¯t feel like anything in space. Christina Koch reveals that she has forgotten how things weigh, and the effort it takes to move arms and legs when gravity is present to oppose you.

She gives an example of a camera that she uses to capture imagery in space with massive lenses and how effortlessly they carry it around, She said, ¡°we spin them, we flip them, we let them go and they float. It takes no effort whatsoever. I anticipate being surprised at how heavy things are on the ground after 328 days living in microgravity.¡±

NASA

Walking with gravity

Another challenge she felt was going to be a big issue is balancing herself on the ground after being for so long in microgravity. In case you didn¡¯t know, an inner-ear helps human body to maintain its balance on the ground.

This sort of gets disabled when you¡¯re in microgravity, according to Koch, ¡°From what I¡¯ve been told, it takes a couple of days after landing for the mind to start listening again. The human body¡¯s ability to adapt to its environment is nothing less than impressive. Goal: Standing and walking on my own by L+2 (landing + two days)¡±

Adjusting to sleep

With no specific bed or sleeping area, astronauts simply tuck themselves in sleeping bags and toss around the ISS. Christina also shares her experience as one of the most restful as she didn¡¯t have the need to toss around in places when the mattress turned too warm or too cold and when back on Earth, how would she adjust to this.

She said, ¡°Will I sleep on my stomach, my back, my side? Will the firmness of the mattress matter more-so than it ever has before? And what about sleeping next to someone in a bed? I¡¯ve been floating in a bag by myself for 327 nights. Hopefully, my husband doesn¡¯t kick me to the couch!¡±

Adjusting to the environment

On ISS, all the astronauts experience is staying enclosed in a laboratory-like environment. They don¡¯t feel wind blowing on their face, or raindrops falling on their head, nothing that our beautiful mother nature makes us experience.

Koch states the importance of certain sensory inputs that we take for granted on Earth. ¡°The environmental inputs on the space station consist mostly of the constant hum of the ventilation system. It stirs the air, allowing the purification system to scrub and clean our atmosphere so it¡¯s breathable. While some places on the space station are as loud as a lawnmower, others are as quiet as the vacuum of space.¡±

NASA

Experiencing the sense of smell again

On Earth, we experience so many different kinds of fragrances -- something as lovely as a flower or your favourite perfume, the smell of salty sea winds, and sometimes not so lovely ones too. But on the ISS the interiors smell like a laboratory, gym and a home.

Koch reveals, ¡°There is the unique smell of space. After repressurization, anytime we open a hatch that has been exposed to the outside, there is a distinctive smell. To me it smells like rusted metal ¨C a scent that will evoke vivid memories for years to come.¡±

Showering on Earth

Water on Earth flows in the direction of gravity, however, in microgravity, the water turns into big bubbles that fly around. So showering is really impossible. Koch shares that for washing their bodies, they rehydrate a towel that contains soap -- this towel is used for two days. For washing their hair, they have to rely on a no-rinse shampoo.

She said, ¡°I look forward to my first, real hot shower in 11-plus months. The sensation of water running off my fingertips. I forget what that feels like.¡±

Clothing back on Earth

On the ISS, astronauts don¡¯t wash clothes. They wear them till they¡¯re too dirty and are discarded. A pair of underwear lasts two days, workout clothes last a week, Tshirts last two weeks etc. Moreover, the choice of clothing is fairly limited too,

According to Koch, ¡°Once I¡¯m home, I¡¯ll have to pick out clothes daily, decide what to wear based on the weather outside, and wash and fold my own laundry. This will be a REAL adjustment!¡±

Eating cooked food

In space, astronauts eat with just a spoon. The food is in packets that are ready to be consumed or might require them to rehydrate it. And the options are limited, and according to Koch, many astronauts try to get creative with combinations, ¡°Some of us get creative, inventing strange food combinations ¨C a cracker with rehydrated cocktail shrimp and sauce. We also develop techniques to spice things up; I use a syringe to inject coconut oil into my coffee drink bag.¡±

NASA

The ability to make choices

From the moment she was signed up for training as an astronaut she has followed a specific schedule -- from the uniforms to wear to the food that is provided during training and in space flight -- nothing is out of choice of the astronaut -- it was her way of life for quite some time.

However, once back on Earth, she¡¯ll experience the ability to pick what she wants to wear, eat what she likes. In her words, ¡°Shopping in a grocery or department store seems like a daunting task. Choice can be paralyzing.¡±

Adjusting to moving time

While she was in space, a lot happened with her family, friends on Earth. While she was present as a voice or as an image on a screen, physical presence has a considerable impact. She asks, ¡°What has changed with the passage of time? How long will it take to re-integrate into everyday life with my family and friends, to be an actual presence in their lives and not just a voice from space? What exciting surprises await?¡±

NASA

Change in perspective

While being present on the ISS, the astronauts would look down on the majestic blue planet, seeing the entire globe as this humongous life form, constantly evolving and moving forward. However, once she¡¯s on Earth, she¡¯ll adjust to shift her perspective to look to the sky, spot the ISS and other celestial objects in the universe,

She said, ¡°Back on Earth I anticipate looking up and seeing the space station streak across the sky, wondering how my friends and colleagues are doing up there without me. For almost 20 years humans have continuously lived and worked in space and the mission continues.¡±