Astronaut Tim Peake: Health effects of long-term space missions

Space mission has led to physical and mental health problems for Tim Peake.

Tim Peake is giving a speech at St David’s Hall

Tim Peake, the first British ESA astronaut talked about his physical and mental issues after being in the space in the Cardiff speaking tour. 

The prolonged weightlessness experienced by him who live and work in space for over half a year can cause significant effects on their bodies.

He said: “The environment provided by space not only deprives astronauts of social interaction but also embodies the most serious challenges of human life in isolation.”

Being in the space will easily lose all sense of time or day and night passing, “Sleep deprivation will make the most amicable person more than a little tetchy.” 

Tim said social interaction is vital to our mental health, the video calls with his family are “extremely important”.

“My greatest fear in space was never about my mother, it was always well, what if something happened in my family back here, and I’m not there to support them.”

“I took about two months for all those changes to my body to reverse themselves have to go through physio and rehab and build up all the muscles, and it was so important as well to reconnect with nature again.

Tim said he hopes to inspire the audience during the pandemic in a humorous and relaxing way of his speaking.

“Today’s urine is tomorrow’s cup of tea,” Tim explained to the audience how water is recycled in the space station in a light-hearted way that made people laugh.

https://www.timpeake.com/ Tim Peake is taking photos from the cupola window

He also shared that one of the highlight moments of his mission was speaking with Professor Stephen Hawking from the Space. 

“We discussed many topics, from our favourite music to quantum physics and the future of humanity while marvelling at the spectacular views of Earth as seen from space during the video call. ” 

His books are on sale outside the hall

Bryan, of Newport, said: “I had an amazing evening, it is worth travelling to hear him speak, I’m a student studying physics, and every sentence was worthy of hours of unpacking.”  

Tim Peake is on a speaking tour in the UK now.