Astronaut who grew up in space fears no longer fit in capsule to return

Japanese astronaut Lieutenant Norishige Kanai has been on a space mission since December, and in a recent internet publication said he worries about his return to Earth, as he has grown quite a bit over the course of his time away.

“I have a big announcement today. We have our bodies measured after reaching space and wow, wow, wow, I actually grew the equivalent of 9 cm! I grew up like some plant in just three weeks. This has not happened since high school. I'm a little worried if I can fit in Soyuz's seat when I get back, ”he said.

Although the veracity of the information has not been confirmed - it may have been just a joke - the fact is that the capsules that house astronauts are measured exactly to one's body.

And this story of growing up?

It is also common for astronauts to grow slightly during missions, but it is rare for this difference to be as large as that reported by Kanai.

This size variation actually happens because the astronaut's spine tends to stretch due to reduced gravity. Because the vertebrae are not as close together as they are when we are on Earth, the distance between them increases and the astronaut becomes longer.

When space travelers return to the surface of our planet, this difference in height is eventually compensated and astronauts "shrink" because of gravity.

Update: After the repercussion of his growth, Kanai decided to measure his height again and, as might be suspected, he did not grow 9 cm but 2 cm. The astronaut said he was relieved to know that, after all, he will have no problem fitting into the capsule and returning to Earth. Ufa!