Katie Watson
๐ค SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
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 ยฃ159 if I could have.
I would have spent another ยฃ159 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.
And it's different every time you're seeing someplace that's interesting to you or maybe it's home to you, but you're seeing it in a different light, in a different season. And it just never, you know, that vantage point and you're always kind of looking with other people's eyes as well.
And it's different every time you're seeing someplace that's interesting to you or maybe it's home to you, but you're seeing it in a different light, in a different season. And it just never, you know, that vantage point and you're always kind of looking with other people's eyes as well.
It's the size of two 747s inside. So there's about 10 modules. They're all connected kind of in a line, but some are up and some are down or sideways. But each of them is the size of a subway car without the seats in it.
It's the size of two 747s inside. So there's about 10 modules. They're all connected kind of in a line, but some are up and some are down or sideways. But each of them is the size of a subway car without the seats in it.
Well, those things that you talked about, definitely we are seeing some of that. I would say in terms of muscle wasting, that does happen. We lose bone about 10 times faster than someone who has osteoporosis. But here's kind of the good and the bad news is that due to the experiments we're doing up there, because it happens so fast, we're easily studied. And it turns out exercise is here to stay.
Well, those things that you talked about, definitely we are seeing some of that. I would say in terms of muscle wasting, that does happen. We lose bone about 10 times faster than someone who has osteoporosis. But here's kind of the good and the bad news is that due to the experiments we're doing up there, because it happens so fast, we're easily studied. And it turns out exercise is here to stay.