In his first public feedback since returning to Earth ultimate week after a record-breaking 355 days in area, Vande Hei mentioned Tuesday that he used to be by no means frightened about his protection at the station or at the Russian spacecraft that flew him and two cosmonauts house.
“I by no means understand the ones tweets as the rest to take critically,” he mentioned. “I simply had an excessive amount of self belief in our cooperation so far to take the ones tweets as the rest however one thing that used to be supposed for a unique target market than myself.”
As for the Russian workforce participants who just lately joined the distance station dressed in yellow-and-blue fits, the colours of the Ukrainian flag, he mentioned the outfits weren’t supposed as political observation. As a substitute, all 3 participants went to the similar college, and yellow and blue are the varsity colours.
He mentioned the cosmonauts “had no concept that folks would understand that as having to do with Ukraine. … I believe they had been more or less blindsided by means of it.”
As for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he mentioned that “it used to be no longer a subject matter I shied clear of with my crewmates. They weren’t very lengthy discussions. However I did ask them how they’re feeling and on occasion requested pointed questions. However our center of attention actually used to be on our project in combination.”
Spending just about a 12 months at the station, he mentioned, he bonded together with his crewmates, from the USA and Russia.
“They had been, are and can proceed to be very expensive buddies of mine. We beef up each and every different all the way through the entirety. And I by no means had any considerations about my talent to proceed operating with them — superb execs and technically competent and lovely human beings.”
The sensation seems to be mutual. In a change-of-command rite ultimate week ahead of heading house, cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov mentioned that whilst “other people have issues on Earth … on orbit we’re one workforce.” Talking in English, the Russian referred to as the distance station “a logo of friendship and cooperation and prefer a logo of the way forward for exploration in area.”
He thanked “my area brothers and sisters” and praised NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn, announcing he can be a “skilled commander of ISS.”
Vande Hei now holds the listing for the longest unmarried spaceflight by means of an American, a mark that used to be up to now held by means of former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly. Because it did for Kelly and different astronauts, Vande Hei mentioned, NASA will proceed to observe his well being within the months and years yet to come to look what impact spaceflight has had on his frame.
After such a lot time within the weightless atmosphere of area, he mentioned returning to gravity has been a problem. “I used to be in a position to stroll by myself inside of 8 hours,” he mentioned, despite the fact that he used to be “wobbly.” He mentioned he used to be “nonetheless uncomfortable.”
As NASA prepares to ship people to the moon for the primary time in 50 years, he mentioned he sought after his flight to be “remembered because the listing that were given damaged. I’m actually having a look ahead to the following individual doing one thing longer and getting additional and additional away and exploring extra, however I would like this to be remembered as a steppingstone.”
