HOUSTON – A mission called the Human Exploration Research Analog just finished up at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
It is designed to help prepare the way for longer space missions to places like an asteroid, back to the moon or on to Mars. KPRC 2 talked with crew member Kent Kalogera shortly after his flight.
How did the crew return?
Friends and family members greeted the crew outside their nearly three-story habitat inside a giant warehouse at the Johnson Space Center. It was much like any returning astronaut crew coming home from a flight to space. The crew’s commander rang a bell and gave a short speech signaling their return.
What did you learn about yourself?
"As a human, I learned how distracted we are on a daily basis. And how after the first week, not having my cellphone constantly going off, how it was nice to focus on a task that required my attention. And I could focus in on it 10 minutes at a time and I didn't feel the need to look over my shoulder or check my phone."
How did the crew spend its time?
Kalogera said the weekdays included sleep deprivation. He said on those days, they only slept five hours a day. The crew performed experiments, exercised and even had blood draws at times. Everything about the mission, even the food consumption, was recorded.
How long was the mission?
The mission, itself, totaled 45 days ;however, the crew members spent a total of two months away from their families. That included the time in preparation and the debriefing time after the “landing.”
What was it like returning to the “real world?”
"In that two hours, I could feel myself starting to go back into daily life. Saying to myself I'm going to have a cellphone in two hours. Distractions that I didn't have before. But there was a part of me that was sad the journey was over."