Space Crew Returns To an Entirely Different Planet
Multiple Restrictions Have Been Placed On All Space Flights
A three-person space crew has returned back to earth after living on the International Space Station for the last six months, after landing in Kazakhstan, it seems like that the space crew returns to an entirely different planet, as Earth has radically transformed by COVID-19 pandemic as compared to last year.
International Space Station’s crew coming back to Earth
A three-person space crew was set for a nine-month journey to the International Space Station, a crew including Jessica Meir, Andrew Morgan from America, and Russian Astronaut Oleg Skripochka has returned back on Earth, their space shuttle landing in the region of a Kazakh steppe in the early morning of Friday. This space crew returns to an entirely different planet metaphorically, as the whole earth is under lockdown due to escalating confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The space crew, which has recently landed back on earth, had no idea regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. They remember the time when all international borders were open, and shaking hands were still a part of a normal greeting. The space crew returns to an entirely different planet, but caught a hint of something wrong when they were met by the recovery crew wearing gloves and face masks, as they pulled the astronauts from their landing capsules.
The team assigned to help the space crew contained minimum essential personnel has been under strict medical observation for a month, including frequent testing for COVID-19. Following the initial medical checkup, the space crew boarded helicopters to travel to Moscow, where the American crew will travel to the United States via airplane. This whole procedure is different from the normal scheduled procedure for which it feels likes that the space crew returns to an entirely different planet, which is the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic.
The process of isolation and quarantine will not be challenging for the space crew as it is a routine process for the astronauts because they are used to long trips being aboard the International Space Centre. Tips to ensure healthy living during isolation include daily exercise, a regular schedule of things, being kind, and having fun. Space crew returns to an entirely different planet due to COVID-19 pandemic affecting everything globally.
Testing for COVID 19 in new space crews
The new crew who is scheduled to depart in the upcoming months for the International Space Station is being treated with extra caution, as even a minor illness can cause massive disaster in the space, as diseases tend to transmit rapidly because of the enclosed space and recycled oxygen usage. Several months before departure, the crew undergoes a very rigorous quarantine procedure to limit the chances of transmission of any infection, which helps them being in optimum health levels for traveling in space.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak around the world, these pre-launch protocols have been made more strict than usual to ensure the health safety of every crew member, along with daily medical examinations, including COVID-19 testing.
The recent launch from Baikonur took place without any live audience and usual fanfare present at the time of the launch blast to prevent further spread of COVID 19 infection as more than 2 million individuals have been diagnosed with having the infection in their bloodstream across the world, including 30 employees working in the Star City, a complex situated on the outskirts of Moscow, which are used as a control center and training hub for several space flights.
The COVID-19 pandemic spread is directly affecting everything around the world, as it seems like the space crew returns to an entirely different planet due to the placement of multiple restrictions amid the outbreak.