Katie Watson
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
And liftoff of Starliner.
And liftoff of Starliner.
Even once you've been gone for a few, I would say for three weeks or so, you're going to definitely have some, you know, some changes to your body in terms of... you know, maybe some bone and muscle loss. But what we've learned up on the space station is unfortunately that exercise is here to stay in that we've learned that by exercising up there a lot, we actually maintain our bone mass.
Even once you've been gone for a few, I would say for three weeks or so, you're going to definitely have some, you know, some changes to your body in terms of... you know, maybe some bone and muscle loss. But what we've learned up on the space station is unfortunately that exercise is here to stay in that we've learned that by exercising up there a lot, we actually maintain our bone mass.
And when we get home, it's kind of, it's kind of strange where we're in, I was in the best shape of my whole entire life. And so when you get home, you're very strong, but your head is kind of not connected to the Because up there we fly from place to place. And it's really delightful.
And when we get home, it's kind of, it's kind of strange where we're in, I was in the best shape of my whole entire life. And so when you get home, you're very strong, but your head is kind of not connected to the Because up there we fly from place to place. And it's really delightful.
It's like being in Peter Pan, in the land of Peter Pan, where the touch of a finger can send you 50 feet until you run into something. It just takes no force at all to move. In fact, I have kind of long hair. I can take a single hair from my head, stretch it between two hands, and push off the edge of, say, a table. And if I push gently, I will push myself across the whole entire space station.
It's like being in Peter Pan, in the land of Peter Pan, where the touch of a finger can send you 50 feet until you run into something. It just takes no force at all to move. In fact, I have kind of long hair. I can take a single hair from my head, stretch it between two hands, and push off the edge of, say, a table. And if I push gently, I will push myself across the whole entire space station.
I flew with the Russians, and so I came down on the Soyuz, and then we fly halfway across the world to get home in a regular airplane. And I'll say that I couldn't walk a straight line at first. And people are always on either side of you making sure you don't fall down. And so the first time we get off the plane to refuel, I'm still kind of like walking kind of like back and forth, weaving.
I flew with the Russians, and so I came down on the Soyuz, and then we fly halfway across the world to get home in a regular airplane. And I'll say that I couldn't walk a straight line at first. And people are always on either side of you making sure you don't fall down. And so the first time we get off the plane to refuel, I'm still kind of like walking kind of like back and forth, weaving.
And then the second time it's less. And then by the time we stopped in Maine on the way back to Houston and had pizza while they were refueling, I could definitely walk on my own. No one was afraid I was going to fall down.
And then the second time it's less. And then by the time we stopped in Maine on the way back to Houston and had pizza while they were refueling, I could definitely walk on my own. No one was afraid I was going to fall down.
I would have spent another £159 if I could have.
I would have spent another £159 if I could have.
Actually, I cannot call it a rescue in that, you know, we try to stick to the facts. And they've had this crew, Sonny and Butch. There's a ship that came up in September with two empty seats just for them. That SpaceX 9 spaceship has been attached to the space station this whole time. So they could have left at any time and especially in an emergency. So it's not a rescue.
Actually, I cannot call it a rescue in that, you know, we try to stick to the facts. And they've had this crew, Sonny and Butch. There's a ship that came up in September with two empty seats just for them. That SpaceX 9 spaceship has been attached to the space station this whole time. So they could have left at any time and especially in an emergency. So it's not a rescue.
It's a regularly scheduled part of the operations. But that's actually the magical part. which is that dedication to mission. The fact that, you know, knowing what you're doing up there is so important. It's so fulfilling. It even does overcome the fact that your family is taking up a lot of your slack for you and you miss each other greatly.
It's a regularly scheduled part of the operations. But that's actually the magical part. which is that dedication to mission. The fact that, you know, knowing what you're doing up there is so important. It's so fulfilling. It even does overcome the fact that your family is taking up a lot of your slack for you and you miss each other greatly.
I can barely speak when you ask me that in that, you know, it might depend on the person. I have not yet met an astronaut who was bored up there because every day is different. I mean, even if you, we actually barely have time to look out the window, but when you do look out the window, you'd think in a way, I mean, I think I went around the earth more than 4,000 times yesterday.
I can barely speak when you ask me that in that, you know, it might depend on the person. I have not yet met an astronaut who was bored up there because every day is different. I mean, even if you, we actually barely have time to look out the window, but when you do look out the window, you'd think in a way, I mean, I think I went around the earth more than 4,000 times yesterday.