6 ms·

I wonder if the astronauts are upset at being stuck or excited by the extra time in space they otherwise may have never got.

urda 2y ago
I imagine it could be exciting, extra time in orbit a place so few humans have been. But it's likely overshadowed by the concerns and fears building from the possible return trip.
- wongarsu 2y ago
  I imagine they vastly prefer returning on a flight-proven Crew Dragon over being the first crew ever to return on Starliner. Especially with all the Starliner issues so far.
_joel 2y ago
I'd imagine they'd revel at the opportunity for more time, generally.
- jeffwask 2y ago
  That's how I'd feel. Kinda like startup life it's a chance to maybe do something you otherwise wouldn't
BatFastard 2y ago
Do they have any assignments or tasks? Boredom is my version of hell.
- jeffwask 2y ago
  I'd bet there's always some set of experiments queued up, maintenance, etc.
- bell-cot 2y ago
  By every account I've heard, keeping the ISS going is seriously laborious for its crew. And both astronauts have previously done regular ISS missions, to quickly get back up to speed.
  - kotaKat 2y ago
    If anything, the extra couple people on board is a great help for stationkeeping and workload division to help give everyone a break.
- xeromal 2y ago
  I believe there's always a backlog of science experiments to perform.
deadbabe 2y ago
Their bodies will wither. They will be bathed in radiation. You can only watch Earth go by so many times before it gets mundane.
- ceejayoz 2y ago
  People have stayed longer, and apparently managed to enjoy it.
  - HarHarVeryFunny 2y ago
    Enjoy it, or endure it?! It must get old after a month or so (or less), and long term effects beat your body up pretty badly.
    - ceejayoz 2y ago
      > Enjoy it, or endure it?! If you're genuinely interested, PBS and Apple+ have the documentary series "A Year In Space", which details Scott Kelly's experiences. As with most other things in life, it seems to be a mix of excitement, fun, awe, tedium, homesickness, etc. Missed some stuff from Earth; misses being in space for some reasons now. We continue to study the impact versus his identical twin. Some impacts, but the man isn't exactly "withered". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_Kononenko https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_Kononenko apparently liked it enough to go back five times, for almost three years in space so far.
      - HarHarVeryFunny 2y ago
        Yes, I've seen it - good documentary! He certainly seems ok now, but wasn't in great shape when he first returned. Had quite a lot of pain from what I remember.
      - HarHarVeryFunny 2y ago
        I wonder if any astronaut is ever going to say "no" if offered/asked to go back to space, regardless of past experiences? It's a massive privilege, and they are all highly disciplined pros.
cryptonector 2y ago
How would you feel if you were one of them? I'd feel pretty upset. A few days in space is no big deal. Months in space is hard on the body, plus you're missing out on months of life on Earth -- maybe you're going to miss the birth of a child or grandchild, or a loved one's death and funeral, or some other big event. And are you getting paid while up there? Are there enough supplies? What if NASA and Boeing finally decide it's OK to return on Starliner, and as you know you basically must then, so now you're risking your life on a vehicle that you have much reason to think is not safe. It'd be hard not to be hopping mad in private. I'd make the best of it, since there's no other choice, but I would not be happy about it.
- layer8 2y ago
  Presumably, equanimity is a selection criterion for astronauts.
  - cryptonector 2y ago
    There's always a limit to equanimity.
- CommieBobDole 2y ago
  The counterpoint to this is these are people who have dedicated their lives to becoming astronauts. They want to go to space and they want to do things in space, and they have sacrificed a lot of the comforts of a normal life to reach that goal. I suspect most astronauts feel like they don't spend enough time in space. These are people who are driven by a passion to do the thing that they're (involuntarily) having to do more of than originally planned. I don't know if "how would you feel" is a good yardstick here; I would probably get sick of it pretty quick, but I'm not the kind of person who would make a good astronaut.
  - HPsquared 2y ago
    Also they get to be all heroic if the equipment doesn't work properly. It makes an (already interesting) trip more interesting and memorable.
beAbU 2y ago
Humans have a truly amazing ability to grow bored of any "new normal", no matter how exciting it may seem to outsiders.
- ReptileMan 2y ago
  Defensive mechanism. You cannot be stressed all the time and remain sane.

urda 2y ago

I imagine it could be exciting, extra time in orbit a place so few humans have been. But it's likely overshadowed by the concerns and fears building from the possible return trip.

wongarsu 2y ago
I imagine they vastly prefer returning on a flight-proven Crew Dragon over being the first crew ever to return on Starliner. Especially with all the Starliner issues so far.

_joel 2y ago

I'd imagine they'd revel at the opportunity for more time, generally.

jeffwask 2y ago
That's how I'd feel. Kinda like startup life it's a chance to maybe do something you otherwise wouldn't

BatFastard 2y ago

Do they have any assignments or tasks? Boredom is my version of hell.

jeffwask 2y ago
I'd bet there's always some set of experiments queued up, maintenance, etc.
bell-cot 2y ago
By every account I've heard, keeping the ISS going is seriously laborious for its crew. And both astronauts have previously done regular ISS missions, to quickly get back up to speed.
- kotaKat 2y ago
  If anything, the extra couple people on board is a great help for stationkeeping and workload division to help give everyone a break.
xeromal 2y ago
I believe there's always a backlog of science experiments to perform.

deadbabe 2y ago

Their bodies will wither. They will be bathed in radiation. You can only watch Earth go by so many times before it gets mundane.

ceejayoz 2y ago
People have stayed longer, and apparently managed to enjoy it.
- HarHarVeryFunny 2y ago
  Enjoy it, or endure it?! It must get old after a month or so (or less), and long term effects beat your body up pretty badly.
  - ceejayoz 2y ago
    > Enjoy it, or endure it?! If you're genuinely interested, PBS and Apple+ have the documentary series "A Year In Space", which details Scott Kelly's experiences. As with most other things in life, it seems to be a mix of excitement, fun, awe, tedium, homesickness, etc. Missed some stuff from Earth; misses being in space for some reasons now. We continue to study the impact versus his identical twin. Some impacts, but the man isn't exactly "withered". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_Kononenko https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_Kononenko apparently liked it enough to go back five times, for almost three years in space so far.
    - HarHarVeryFunny 2y ago
      Yes, I've seen it - good documentary! He certainly seems ok now, but wasn't in great shape when he first returned. Had quite a lot of pain from what I remember.
    - HarHarVeryFunny 2y ago
      I wonder if any astronaut is ever going to say "no" if offered/asked to go back to space, regardless of past experiences? It's a massive privilege, and they are all highly disciplined pros.

cryptonector 2y ago

How would you feel if you were one of them? I'd feel pretty upset. A few days in space is no big deal. Months in space is hard on the body, plus you're missing out on months of life on Earth -- maybe you're going to miss the birth of a child or grandchild, or a loved one's death and funeral, or some other big event. And are you getting paid while up there? Are there enough supplies? What if NASA and Boeing finally decide it's OK to return on Starliner, and as you know you basically must then, so now you're risking your life on a vehicle that you have much reason to think is not safe. It'd be hard not to be hopping mad in private. I'd make the best of it, since there's no other choice, but I would not be happy about it.

layer8 2y ago
Presumably, equanimity is a selection criterion for astronauts.
- cryptonector 2y ago
  There's always a limit to equanimity.
CommieBobDole 2y ago
The counterpoint to this is these are people who have dedicated their lives to becoming astronauts. They want to go to space and they want to do things in space, and they have sacrificed a lot of the comforts of a normal life to reach that goal. I suspect most astronauts feel like they don't spend enough time in space. These are people who are driven by a passion to do the thing that they're (involuntarily) having to do more of than originally planned. I don't know if "how would you feel" is a good yardstick here; I would probably get sick of it pretty quick, but I'm not the kind of person who would make a good astronaut.
- HPsquared 2y ago
  Also they get to be all heroic if the equipment doesn't work properly. It makes an (already interesting) trip more interesting and memorable.

beAbU 2y ago

Humans have a truly amazing ability to grow bored of any "new normal", no matter how exciting it may seem to outsiders.

ReptileMan 2y ago
Defensive mechanism. You cannot be stressed all the time and remain sane.