Astronaut Tries His Hardest To Get Dizzy In Space, Fails Completely
- 8 years ago
On Sunday, ESA astronaut and International Space Station inhabitant Tim Peake shared a video showing just how difficult it is to get dizzy in space once a person has acclimated.
On Sunday, ESA astronaut and International Space Station inhabitant Tim Peake shared a video showing just how difficult it is to get dizzy in space once a person has acclimated.
The video shows fellow astronaut Tim Kopra spinning Peake for several minutes and yet he did not feel dizzy. Peake noted, "That's quite remarkable...if I was on Earth, by now, I'd be feeling very unwell."
He also explained how it’s possible - "A lot of this has to do with the fact that the vestibular system is a little bit messed up. All the fluid in the ear is in microgravity so it is just floating....the brain is getting these mixed signals from the ear vs the eyes...the brain sorts this out after about 24 or 48 hours. It shuts down the vestibular system and relies more on the information coming from the eyes. That helps you because its stops the dizziness, stops the disorientation and there is no more nausea. You can turn yourself...upside down and spin about...it doesn't really mater. Your brain is able to cope with that situation."
Peake has been on the International Space Station for about 6 months.
On Sunday, ESA astronaut and International Space Station inhabitant Tim Peake shared a video showing just how difficult it is to get dizzy in space once a person has acclimated.
The video shows fellow astronaut Tim Kopra spinning Peake for several minutes and yet he did not feel dizzy. Peake noted, "That's quite remarkable...if I was on Earth, by now, I'd be feeling very unwell."
He also explained how it’s possible - "A lot of this has to do with the fact that the vestibular system is a little bit messed up. All the fluid in the ear is in microgravity so it is just floating....the brain is getting these mixed signals from the ear vs the eyes...the brain sorts this out after about 24 or 48 hours. It shuts down the vestibular system and relies more on the information coming from the eyes. That helps you because its stops the dizziness, stops the disorientation and there is no more nausea. You can turn yourself...upside down and spin about...it doesn't really mater. Your brain is able to cope with that situation."
Peake has been on the International Space Station for about 6 months.