Lombard astronaut discusses life back on Earth after 4 months in space

After months of eating out of a bag and drinking from sippy cups in space, a freshly grilled steak sounded out of this world to Lombard astronaut Dan Tani.

Oh, and with french fries, too. Yeah, definitely french fries.

Unfortunately, gravity had a little something else in mind when the man who spent four months on the International Space Station returned to Earth. Because of gravity, steak and potatoes didn't make the menu on Tani's first day back.

Tani was shot into space in October expecting to spend about eight weeks aboard the space station conducting experiments and performing at least one spacewalk. Problems with the shuttle Atlantis, however, kept him there until late last month.

In the interim, his beloved mother, Rose, the 90-year-old Lombard woman who raised him alone after the death of her husband, died shortly before Christmas in a train-car collision in their hometown.

More Coverage Video QA win Dan Tani

Tani endured one delay after another in catching a ride home aboard the shuttle.

Tani completed five complex and risky spacewalks to repair the damaged solar system that powers the station, helped install two new modules that expanded the station, and enhanced its capacity to conduct experiments.

Now he's spending 45 days getting his body readjusted to life on Earth and going through a debriefing process recounting his lengthy mission. He chatted about some of his experiences Wednesday morning with the Daily Herald.

The following is an edited transcript of the interview:

Q. You said while you were on the International Space Station that one of the things you looked forward to after getting back was having multiple food items on your plate. What was your first meal request?

A. My wife and girls were going to be at what we call crew quarters at the Kennedy Space Center: That's where the astronauts get to live before and after a mission. I was kind of looking forward to a steak, so I asked for a steak and french fries. There's a woman down there who makes fantastic macaroni and cheese and I knew my girls would like that, so we had that for our first dinner.

But it turns out I did not have an appetite at all my first day back. My body was still trying to figure out where up and down was. They prepared a wonderful meal for us and I felt awful having to leave it but I just did not have an appetite. My appetite quickly came back and I've been enjoying all the Earth food now.

Q. What's the best meal you've had since you've been back?

A. My wife and I went to our favorite sushi restaurant. We had carryout but we had a wonderful sushi meal the other night and that was something you absolutely can't get on station.

Q. What have some of the challenges been in readjusting to gravity? You were able to walk off the shuttle and that's somewhat unusual, but has the good health continued?

A. I've been privileged to feel very well and I'm getting better. Your body is not used to carrying itself around. I didn't really think about it, but your neck has an easy job in space; it doesn't have to hold anything up. Down here it has to hold your head up, so my neck was pretty sore for a while. And my legs, of course, are sore from walking.

I've been going through a regime of working out two hours a day. Those guys are having a ball putting me through the rigors of physical therapy. I'm feeling pretty good now. The physical therapy is going to get me in better shape than I've probably been in for years.

Q. What are some of the challenges of adjusting this time versus your last trip?

A. My last trip was 12 days long and I felt a little shaky for the first day. The second day I felt pretty much back to normal. This trip, after four months, I felt more than shaky. The first day was a challenge: I could walk around, but I got very tired.

For the first week or so I was less sure on my feet than I thought I would be and I still had some vestibular issues going on. I would move my head and the Earth would move in different ways than I expected.

Q. When you launched you expected to be gone for about two months and I assume you prepare for some possible extension. I don't think anyone imagined it would turn out to be as long as it was. How do you psychologically deal with such an unplanned duration?

A. You're right, my wife and I sort of assumed I would be gone for Christmas because it would be easier to assume that and then have a surprise that I would be back for Christmas rather than the other way around. I left some Christmas cards and things in preparation for that. But I didn't plan all the way out to Valentine's Day, which I was gone for.

Q. I assume she forgave you for that.

A. She did, as long as I got back by the end of the month, which I did. In a way it was fortunate the delays came a week, or a couple of weeks, at a time. If they had told us on Dec. 6 -- the original launch date to bring me home -- that I'd be delayed two more months, that would have been harder to take. It was easier to hear our earliest launch date is Jan. 3 and then have it moved further out in small bites.

Q. I know there were a lot of experiments up there. Was there anything you did that will have specific benefits to our area?

A. Gosh, in terms of our area in Chicago? I can't think of anything in particular. I'd say half the science we do is on our bodies, just trying to figure out how they adjust in space. I did a great experiment for my alma mater, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

They have a couple of satellites that are soccer ball size that can fly around the space station autonomously and they can dock and they can maneuver. That was really such a cool thing -- and it was my alma mater.

After months of eating out of a bag and drinking from sippy cups in space, a freshly grilled steak sounded out of this world to Lombard astronaut Dan Tani.

Oh, and with French fries, too. Yeah, definitely French fries.

Unfortunately, gravity had a little something else in mind when the man who spent four months on the International Space Station returned to Earth. It just didn't want that on the menu during his first day back.

Tani launched into space in October expecting to spend about eight weeks aboard the space station conducting experiments and performing at least one spacewalk. Problems with the shuttle Atlantis kept him there until late last month.

In the interim, his beloved mother, Rose, the 90-year-old Lombard woman who raised him alone after the death of her husband, died shortly before Christmas in a train-car collision in their hometown.

And Tani endured one delay after another in catching a ride home aboard the shuttle.

Tani completed five complex and risky spacewalks to repair the damaged solar system that powers the station, helped install two new modules that expanded the station and enhanced its capacity to conduct experiments.

Now he's spending 45 days getting his body readjusted to life on Earth and debriefing from his lengthy mission. He chatted about some of his experiences Wednesday morning with the Daily Herald. The following is an edited transcript of the interview:

Q. You said while you were on the International Space Station that one of the things you looked forward after getting back was having multiple food items on your plate. What was your first meal request?

A. My wife and girls were going to be at what we call crew quarters at the Kennedy Space Center: that's where the astronauts get to live before and after a mission. I was kind of looking forward to a steak, so I asked for a steak and French fries. There's a woman down there who makes fantastic macaroni and cheese and I knew my girls would like that, so we had that for our first dinner.

But it turns out I did not have an appetite at all my first day back. My body was still trying to figure out where up and down was. They prepared a wonderful meal for us and I felt awful having to leave it but I just did not have an appetite. My appetite quickly came back and I've been enjoying all the Earth food now.

Q. What's the best meal you've had since you've been back.

A. My wife and I went to our favorite sushi restaurant. We had carryout but we had a wonderful sushi meal the other night and that was something you absolutely can't get on station.

Q. What have some of the challenges been in readjusting to gravity? You were able to walk off the shuttle and that's somewhat unusual, but has the good health continued?

A. I've been privileged to feel very well and I'm getting better. Your body is not used to carrying itself around. I didn't really think about it but your neck has an easy job in space, it doesn't have to hold anything up. Down here it has to hold your head up so my neck was pretty sore for a while. And my legs, of course, are sore from walking.

I've been going through a regime of working out two hours a day. Those guys are having a ball putting me through the rigors of physical therapy. I'm feeling pretty good now. The physical therapy is going to get me in better shape than I've probably been in for years.

Q. What are some of the challenges of adjusting this time versus your last trip?

A. My last trip was 12 days long and I felt a little shaky for the first day. The second day I felt pretty much back to normal. This trip, after four months, I felt more than shaky. The first day was a challenge: I could walk around but I got very tired.

For the first week or so I was less sure on my feet than I thought I would be and I still had some vestibular issues going on. I would move my head and the Earth would move in different ways than I expected.

Q. When you launched you expected to be gone for about two months and I assume you prepare for some possible extension. I don't think anyone imagined it would turn out to be as long as it was. How do you psychologically deal with such an unplanned duration?

A. You're right, my wife and I sort of assumed I would be gone for Christmas because it would be easier to assume that and then have a surprise that I would be back for Christmas rather than the other way around. I left some Christmas cards and things in preparation for that. But I didn't plan all the way out to Valentine's Day, which I was gone for.

Q. I assume she forgave you for that.

A. She did, as long as I got back by the end of the month, which I did. In a way it was fortunate the delays came a week, or a couple of weeks, at a time. If they had told us on Dec. 6 - the original launch date to bring me home - that I'd be delayed two more months, that would have been harder to take. It was easier to hear our earliest launch date is Jan. 3 and then have it moved further out in small bites.

Q. I know there were a lot of experiments up there. Was there anything you did that will have specific benefits to our area?

A. Gosh, in terms of our area in Chicago? I can't think of anything in particular. I'd say half the science we do is on our bodies, just trying to figure out how they adjust in space. I did a great experiment for my alma mater, MIT.

They have a couple of satellites that are soccer ball size that can fly around the space station autonomously and they can dock and they can maneuver. That was really such a cool thing - and it was my alma mater.