The physiological toll of living months beyond our atmosphere

Space · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Returning to Earth is a high-stakes physical ordeal. For astronauts, the transition involves surviving jarring landings in spring-loaded seats and recovering from months of weightlessness. These missions are vital for studying how microgravity alters lung function, sleep, and nutrition, providing the essential biological data needed to plan future human missions to Mars.

The return of astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) is a high-stakes operation involving complex deceleration techniques. During the descent of the Soyuz spacecraft, such as the journey taken by Tim Peake in June 2016, the vehicle relies on parachutes to slow its fall. To manage the final impact, special rockets are fired moments before touchdown to further reduce velocity. To protect the crew from the jarring force of landing, astronauts like Peake, Tim Kopra, and Yuri Malenchenko are secured in molded seats equipped with powerful springs designed to absorb the shock of the bumpy arrival.

These missions are far more than orbital sightseeing; they are critical biological experiments. Commander Scott Kelly and cosmonauts Sergey Volkov and Mikhail Kornienko completed a 340-day mission that concluded on March 2, landing in Kazakhstan via the Soyuz TMA-18M. The main goal involved investigating how prolonged microgravity impacts human physiology. This data is vital for the future of space exploration, as it helps scientists formulate the requirements for a human mission to Mars.

The scope of research includes everything from nutritional needs to circadian rhythms. During his Principia mission, Tim Peake’s sleep patterns and lung function were monitored to understand how humans adapt to environments without natural daylight. Scientists also tracked his caloric intake to estimate the energy requirements for deep-space travelers. Even personal milestones, such as Peake running a virtual London Marathon on a treadmill, provide insight into maintaining physical health during extended stays in microgravity.

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