We have been talking for some time about the things that astronauts cannot do in space, like sleeping in beds or hearing their own screams, but this time we will touch on a very interesting topic that has to do with with something they can’t do when they return to Earth after a space mission: walk.
As he recalls a report published on the website of phenomenalthe story goes that the first recorded man in space was Yuri Gagarin, who was there on April 12, 1961. Then NASA sent scientists like Alan Shepard on May 5, 1961, Virgil Grissom on July 21, 1961 and Gherman Titov (August 6, 1961), among others.
Interestingly, neither they nor any other astronaut he was able to land on Earth and walk immediately. You may have observed that when space travelers return, they are usually placed in wheelchairs until they can walk.
Why can’t astronauts walk when they return from space?
Astronauts cannot walk when they return to our planet after a space mission due to some problems that can be generated by the lack of gravity: cardiovascular problems, balance disorders, vision disorders, nasal congestion and changes in the immune system.
In response to weightlessness in space, the human body begins to change, including loss of bone and muscle mass, and since there is no gravity, muscles are no longer needed to maintain our body posture and become weaker and smaller.
When astronauts return to Earth, they begin to feel the shock of not using their muscles while in orbit. And, according to scientific reports, they weigh five times more than their usual body mass. As a result, they are placed in wheelchairs for up to three or four days when they can regain their natural posture.
