Astronauts returning from long-duration missions almost universally report burning pain in the soles of the feet and deep lower-back ache within days of landing. The cause is a spine that grew by centimetres in orbit meeting Earth's gravity all at once.
When NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returned from his record-breaking 371-day mission aboard the International Space Station in September 2023, he could not walk unassisted off the Soyuz capsule and late… [+8765 chars]