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Astronauts Often a Bit Woozy

Spacesickness a common malady for unearthly missions

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 15, 2008 12:52 PM CST
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(Newser) – We all know about carsickness and seasickness—but spacesickness? NASA is cagey about its vomiting astronauts, but about half of the 500 who’ve been to the final frontier suffer from “space adaptation syndrome,” reports Ned Potter for ABC News. So it comes as no surprise to Potter that when a German aboard the orbiting shuttle Atlantis was replaced on a recent spacewalk, it was for an undisclosed “medical issue.”

NASA’s guardedness is not without reason: While space programs are publicly funded and transparent, the privacy of individual astronauts is still mandated by law and propriety. The European Space Agency is a little more talkative; its website reports an update from one of their doctors stating that, while not life threatening, its spaceman’s condition was “not compatible with a spacewalk.” Whatever that means.

An image released by NASA shows astronaut Scott Parazynski anchored to a foot restraint on the end of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System assesses his repair work as the solar array is fully deployed during the mission's fourth session of extravehicular activity while Space Shuttle Discovery is docked with the...
An image released by NASA shows astronaut Scott Parazynski anchored to a foot restraint on the end of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System assesses his repair work as the solar array is fully deployed during...   (Associated Press)
In this image provided by NASA STS-120 and Expedition 16 crew members pose for a group photo following a joint news conference Wednesday Oct. 31, 2007.(AP Photo/NASA)
In this image provided by NASA STS-120 and Expedition 16 crew members pose for a group photo following a joint news conference Wednesday Oct. 31, 2007.(AP Photo/NASA)   (Associated Press)
In this image provided by NASA, American astronaut Rex Walheim works on the International Space Station, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA TV)
In this image provided by NASA, American astronaut Rex Walheim works on the International Space Station, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA TV)   (Associated Press)
In this image provided by NASA, American astronaut Rex Walheim work on the International Space Station, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008. With two of their three spacewalks completed, the astronauts aboard the linked shuttle-station complex focused Thursday on getting the new Columbus lab up and running. (AP Photo/NASA TV)
In this image provided by NASA, American astronaut Rex Walheim work on the International Space Station, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008. With two of their three spacewalks completed, the astronauts aboard the...   (Associated Press)
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The ESA note
Aurora Exploration Programme

The spacewalk went ahead without him
Associated Press

 
NASA • European Space Agency • space • International Space Station • space travel • Atlantis Space Shuttle • nausea • Frank Borman • Hans Schlegel • space adaptation syndrome

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