Horrifying reason NASA astronaut fainted during ceremony hours after returning to Earth from space
The reason behind a NASA astronaut fainting after returning to Earth shows the extreme strain which going to space puts on your body.
Boarding a rocket and heading up to the stars to catch a glimpse of the cosmos sounds like a pretty cool idea in theory, sure.
But are you aware of how going into space himpacts your body?
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It'll come as no surprise that the human body is not equipped to be in space - although you'll have likely guessed that from the amount of effort it takes to get a person off Earth.
A good example of this is what happened to US astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, who famously fainted during a welcome home ceremony after her first trip into space.
Stefanyshyn-Piper was part of the STS-115 Atlantis crew in September 2006 and spent 12 days in space, completing two spacewalks during the mission.
However, the 62-year-old's body had a difficult time adjusting to being back on Earth, with her legs giving way while she was mid-way through a speech.
Watch the moment below:
After being helped back to her feet Stefanyshyn-Piper made light of the situation, telling the crowd: "Boy if that's not a little embarrassing," before collapsing to the ground once again.
The footage appears a little concerning at first, prompting NASA officials to state explain why Stefanyshyn-Piper's reaction is 'very normal' for a returning astronaut.
This is because the body becomes accustomed to the weightlessness of space, meaning that touching down on Earth and having to use your legs after nearly two weeks floating is often a little disorientating.
"Heide is in excellent health. For a returning astronaut, the symptoms she experienced are very normal for what can occur during re-adaptation," NASA flight surgeon Dr. Smith Johnston explained at the time (via Chron).
NASA goes on to add that weight-bearing bones lose an average of '1% to 1.5% of mineral density per month during spaceflight'.
Add this to the fact that astronauts' muscle mass depletes faster due to lack of exercise and it's not surprising why Stefanyshyn-Piper, and many other astronauts, have come home and found themselves feeling unsteady on their feet.
Concerns about the impact which spaceflight has on the body have begun to circulate once again amid health concerns about 'stranded' astronauts Barry 'Butch' Wilmore and Sunita 'Suni' Williams, who are set to return home soon after their Boeing Starliner mission ran into difficulties.
Brenna Cooper