NASA Astronaut Who Lost $100,000 Bag In Space Opens Up About Experience

Please note that this is not meant to be taken as investment advice. The author does not hold any positions in the stocks that have been mentioned.

Following their return from a challenging six-month stint in microgravity, the astronauts of NASA’s Crew-7 mission gathered today to discuss their experiences on the International Space Station (ISS). The four-member crew, who arrived back on Earth earlier this month, included NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa. During the event, they all opened up about the struggles they faced readjusting to Earth’s gravity after their prolonged stay in space.

Despite facing multiple surprises, including a delayed resupply mission to the station and Moghbeli’s loss of a tool bag during a six hour spacewalk, their mission was ultimately successful.

NASA Astronaut Recounts Intense Reentry Experience On SpaceX’s Crew Dragon

The media conversation among the astronauts during their recovery from prolonged periods in space centered on their time on the station, their experiences inside SpaceX’s spacecraft, and the recovery procedures. Currently, Crew Dragon is the sole American spacecraft with the capability to transport astronauts to the ISS and space, while Boeing is preparing for the first crewed test flight of its Starliner in May and NASA awaits the first operational rotation of Orion.

On the ISS, the astronauts have conducted and are planning to conduct experiments in manufacturing science and biotechnology, which are among their favorites. While Furukava and Moghbeli have already completed their experiments, ESA astronaut Mogensen expressed optimism that the current Crew-8 rotation on the ISS would successfully utilize a 3D printer for in-space manufacturing. This is especially important for sustaining space stations by producing necessary items on board.

After coming back to Earth, the astronauts have found it to be a slow process to readjust to the effects of gravity. Each of them has encountered challenges in orienting themselves, with Furukawa struggling to tie his shoes and Mogensen realizing that playing basketball feels more challenging after returning from space.

Despite their differing experiences, all astronauts unanimously agreed that the Crew Dragon’s landing was incredibly smooth. Moghbeli also noted her surprise at the strength of the normal g-loads experienced during re-entry, while Mogensen shared that the human brain requires time to readjust to Earth’s gravity, likening it to re-inserting a sensor into its suite of sensors.

The vestibular system serves as the primary sensor for astronauts, who rely solely on their eyes to maintain balance in space. Therefore, it may take some time for their bodies to readjust to using the vestibular system once they return to Earth. To test their senses and speed up the adjustment process, astronauts often practice walking with their eyes closed.

Last year, Moghbeli’s first spaceflight generated headlines when a tool bag went missing during the six-hour mission. Based on NASA’s calculations, the bag is valued at approximately $100,000. The astronaut shared her account of the incident, stating:

First spacewalk, Loral and I go out the door, and you know, you’ve trained years for this, it’s a highlight, highlight of your career, and to go out there and, you know, most importantly we made it back in successfully and we accomplished the task. But losing that bag, and I’ll tell you what happened from my perspective is, I went, I stowed that bag, and they have built in hooks on them, and I put it on a hand rail that I told the ground team beforehand I was going to stow it own.

And I remember it was even getting in my way, and I pushed it out of my way a few times, and then you know I was buy doing my task on the camera on at that point. An external camera on space station. And when I turned around, the bag was not there and that was honestly very, like my heart sank at that moment because I knew exactly where I’d put that bag down and it was no longer there which is obviously a big deal.

As Furukawa was capturing a picture of Japan, he managed to catch the bag. While re-entering, Moghbeli mistakenly perceived 0.2g of forces as 2g at first. The crew will proceed with their rehabilitation, contemplate on their time spent on the ISS, and make time for rest.