After 230 days in space, NASA astronauts are finding basic tasks on Earth impossible — like sitting down

NASA’s eighth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station, SpaceX Crew-8, marked a historic success with its splashdown in Pensacola on October 25, 2024. Three of the astronauts were unexpectedly hospitalized after their splashdown in Florida. Upon their discharge, the trio held a press conference where they candidly opened up about readjusting to life on Earth after staying in space for 235 days.

During the press conference on November 8, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps remained reticent when asked about their post-splashdown medical issue to maintain "medical privacy." However, the astronauts shared some anecdotes, highlighting their experiences of trying to adjust back to life on Earth. According to CNN, Dominick said, "I’m a first-time flyer, and fascinated by the readaptation. The big things you expect—being disoriented, being dizzy. But the little things like just sitting in a hard chair. My backside has not really sat in a hard thing for (235) days.” The mission commander shared an anecdote about once enjoying dinner with his family, only to end up lying down in the yard because Dominick found his seat "too uncomfortable."

“Hey, you’re going to space. It’s going to be hard to sit on a hard chair," he added. Participating in the press conference, Epps—who served as a mission specialist—revealed, “The weight and the heaviness of things just is surprising.” She also spoke about how she has been lying down whenever she gets a chance. She shared, "Every day is better than the day before."

Epps later acknowledged the need to move on and get back on track. She added, "You have to exercise every day, otherwise you don’t get those gains. You have to move regardless of how exhausted you feel.” She also expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the love she received from her well-wishers, especially those from Syracuse (Epps' hometown). "I can't thank Syracuse enough. Life is different for me now just in the sense of how much I appreciate everything that Syracuse and my friends there have done for me," she concluded.

At the start of the press conference, Barratt requested that the media refrain from asking questions about their time in the hospital. However, many of the questions focused on their splashdown hospitalization. Responding to one such question, Dominick clarified that he isn’t "uncomfortable" discussing the medical intervention but prefers to remain tight-lipped out of respect for medical privacy. He assured the media that they would address the topic at an appropriate time. Following the hospitalization of the astronauts, NASA went public about it and shared that the decision to immediately take them to medical professionals was “out of an abundance of caution.” Later, the space agency revealed that one of the astronauts had a medical issue and had to remain admitted at the hospital overnight.