Laure Dautriche, edited by Gauthier Delomez 07:26, November 09, 2021
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet is preparing to undergo several medical tests on Tuesday evening in Cologne, Germany, for his return to Earth after six months in space.
Doctors will monitor how the Frenchman's body readjustes to life on earth.
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After spending six months in space, the body of astronauts must get used to terrestrial life again.
That of Thomas Pesquet is no exception.
Expected in Germany, in Cologne on Tuesday evening, the French will pass a battery of medical tests.
He will be taken care of there and will be like a laboratory guinea pig at the astronaut center.
This is where his body will readjust.
Europe 1 explains the process to you.
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First, it should be noted that the hearts of astronauts have shrunk in space.
They must therefore avoid tiring it in the first few days, and let it resume its usual form.
Thomas Pesquet and his teammates will also have to learn to walk again.
After six months without having set foot on the ground, their feet are very sensitive, like baby's feet, confides a former astronaut to Europe 1. Also affected by problems of balance, the Frenchman is strictly prohibited from driving a car for three weeks.
Vision control and body rehabilitation
As soon as he arrives in Cologne, Thomas Pesquet will receive a series of very varied medical tests.
"We do an eye check because some astronauts develop vision problems", explains on Europe 1 Adriano Golemis, the French astronaut's doctor at the European Space Agency.
"After six months in space, we help them readjust the body to life on our planet," continues the doctor.
Certain medical examinations are also intended to prepare for future trips to the planet Mars.
Scientists are trying to find out how an astronaut's body would react and resist during a round trip to the Red Planet, which would last at least 2 years.