Russia sends 'Challenge' film crew for rehabilitation to get used to conditions on Earth

Russian cosmonauts, who successfully returned to Earth after 12-days of a movie shoot in space, have been sent into rehabilitation to make them used to on Earth. The movie crew comprised Russian producer-director Klim Shipenko, actor Yulia Peresild and cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos who returned after spending 191 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on his third mission. With the success of the mission named 'Challenge,' these astronauts have scripted history by filming the first-ever movie in space.

Why do astronauts need rehabilitation on Earth?

Living on Earth after spending considerable time in space isn’t an easy feat. Astronauts have to relearn everything from walking to talking on Earth as the conditions in space are entirely different mostly due to lack of gravity. Spending extended time in space results in pressing issues such as speech and vision issues, reduction in bone density and shrinking of muscles.

A report by Space.com suggested that astronaut Chris Hadfield, who also landed in a Russian spacecraft touching down on Kazakhstan in May 2013 after spending five months in space had faced issues with speech. As per reports, he claimed to have felt the weight of his tongue and lips after landing as he had unknowingly learned how to talk with a weightless tongue.

In rehabilitation, the astronauts are slowly subjected to the normal conditions of Earth so they transition from the harsh outer space ones and get used to the former. Needless to say, Novitskiy will take much longer to adjust to Earth’s environment as compared to Peresild and Shipenko as both of them only spent 12 days aboard the ISS.

Recently, a new study conducted at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg revealed that long-term space-bound astronauts are likely to face brain damage as a result of the fluid shift. Besides, they might also be subjected to deterioration in the areas related to movement and processing of information along with changes in areas associated with ageing.

First movie to be shot in space

Along with being the first country to launch the first satellite in space, Russia also bagged the first spot to shoot a movie in space. Starring actress Yulia Peresild, the movie is about a heart surgeon, who rushes to the ISS to save an astronaut. Following her landing in Kazakhstan, Peresild candidly said in a press conference, “It was psychologically physically and morally hard”, as per the Associated Press.

Image: Twitter/@novitskyi_iss