After spending a full year in space, an astronaut shared an emotional video discussing what he missed most about Earth.
From March 2015 to 2016, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko was stationed on the International Space Station. Along with his colleagues, they served as ‘guinea pigs,’ aimed to understand the effects of long-term space missions on the human body.
Now 64, Kornienko mentioned that he specifically requested certain items to make his time in space more manageable.
His deep reflections on the world touched many viewers online, drawing emotional responses.
In a National Geographic video, which has garnered over six million views, he described the ‘rather stressful conditions’ of being confined ‘for a long time’.
Upon his return to Earth, he noted: “Some time needs to go by here on Earth, so I have not breathed enough of Earth yet.
“For me, everyday is a plus. A joy, you know? But the time comes when you adapt and you come back to normal, and you can begin to miss space as well.”
Mikhail cherished observing Earth’s natural wonders from space, sharing his observations. He said: “There are many beautiful places. The Aurora [Borealis] is very impressive… Cities are also very beautiful.”
However, he soon identified a significant challenge in space, noting: “There is a shortage of greenery, for real, like not enough forest… People need to understand this and psychologists somehow need to develop a set of measures for people who will fly farther.”
To address the absence of greenery, he requested that the resupply vessel include: “When I flew, I asked the psychologists to send with the resupply ship simply pictures of Earth.
“Just views of nature: forests, rivers, little bitch trees, mountains. I hung all of this around the module, so the flight would be more joyful. You grab onto it with your gaze, look at the little birch tree and things get easier.”
Moved by his story, viewers expressed their feelings in the YouTube comments.
One user confessed: “I almost cry when he finally landed on earth and breathe the air of earth after a very long time, It makes me emotional I dont know why.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28YI9p6NBk8
Another commented: “‘Look at the little birch tree, and things get easier’, cried little bit… people are awesome, earth is awesome.”
A third viewer stated: “I’m a bit teary watching this,” while a fourth remarked: “This was a great piece. I cried for the beauty of existence and humanity.”
To encapsulate his feelings, one viewer said: “What did he miss? Everything. What did he experience? Everything.”