Interview with ESA astronaut Marcus Wandt
At the end of October 2023 the Swedish ESA astronaut Marcus Wandt took part in some medical experiments at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne. A good opportunity to ask some questions on health and fitness in space.
The DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine is involved in several human medical experiments on ESA's Muninn mission. Wandt will carry out the experiments on board the International Space Station ISS in January 2024.
Which physical challenges are you going to face during your spaceflight?
Marcus Wandt: I think first it will be the fluid shift, when you get to microgravity and all the fluids get redistributed within your body. That will be one of the challenges. And then of course the orientation for the brain: what is up, what is down and so on.
Do you think that you can benefit from your experience as a jet pilot?
Marcus Wandt: I heard that it is not going to make a difference when it comes to how you are affected, or how you feel. But maybe some of the experiences, like moving your head slowly when you have a strong force onset, it might be the same here when all the input to the vestibular system is gone. Maybe it's a good thing to move it slow, and that's kind of similar to flying as a pilot. And maybe special orientation. But I don’t know yet, I have to tell you afterwards.
What kind of medical tests do you have to go through pre-flight? What are you doing here today at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine?
Marcus Wandt: There are a lot of medical tests pre-flight. What I am doing right now is measuring my bone density for one of the scientific experiments. I am also doing a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to scan the brain from different perspectives, to look at how the space environment affects my brain.
So it is not just a preparation for the flight, or a medical check pre-flight, it is also part of the science programme you are doing on board of the ISS?
Marcus Wandt: Yes, definitely, it is a big part of the science programme. The medical assessment, when it comes to health, was done during the selection and is also done annually. And then of course before the flight you do baseline data collection to see what happens during the flight. But then also specific science targeted measurements, like we are doing here right now.
What do you do to keep in shape and retain your fitness level on Earth and in space?
Marcus Wandt: On Earth right now I am doing cardio exercises, mostly running actually, and also go to the gym. I would say that I try to exercise every day, but then travelling comes in between sometimes. In orbit I will also do cardio training and resistance training, using thera bands.