Astronaut Chris Hadfield is Adjusting to Life on Earth After 5 Months in Space
Astronaut Chris Hadfield is back on Earth after five well publicized months in space, where he made a name for himself creating viral videos of his space adventures.
Now the biggest question the astronaut faces is, what will he do next?
"Chris will have people knocking on his door from every single possible area of work imaginable, and I'm sure that there are already probably 1,000 requests to come and speak," said three-time space shuttle flyer Marc Garneau, who became Canada's first astronaut in space in 1984, reports Space.com.
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"We're always thinking about the next step, but really, at this point, all I know is anything Chris does is always an adventure," Hadfield's wife, Helene said in a press conference after her husband landed. "No matter what he does, he really likes what he's doing. It'll grow organically, but right now all he's thinking about is this mission."
Currently, the astronaut is trying to recover from microgravity effects. In space he was able to do thing in an almost superhuman fashion due to there being no gravity. Now on Earth, he really does have the weight of the world on his shoulders as he adjusts to life with gravity. For him, the simplest things such as walking, lifting, and even breathing were a little tricky at first.
"I'm trying to stand up straight, and I have to sit down in the shower so I don't faint and fall down," Hadfield said May 16 at a press conference, just three days after landing. "It's like asking an infant if they're ready for their Ph.D. yet. I'll get there, but it's too early to say."
The space community feels the Canadian astronaut may be able to have a career as a commercial space pilot with missions and new aircrafts being tested, however, his wife does not think so.
"It's not the time to go into a commercial company. Maybe in the future, but he's so happy [with the CSA]. He has nothing against that, but the timing is not really right for right now."
