Oldest living NASA astronaut reveals surprising effect of living in space

NASA astronaut Don Pettit has 30 years of being an astronaut under his belt, and in a recent interview, he revealed a unique effect of space.

VIEW GALLERY - 2

Jak Connor

Tech and Science Editor

Published May 1, 2025 2:03 AM CDT

1 minute & 45 seconds read time

TL;DR: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, with 30 years of experience, shared a unique insight following his recent return from the International Space Station. His extensive career highlights valuable perspectives on space missions and astronaut life, offering important knowledge for space exploration and research advancements.

The oldest living full-time NASA astronaut, Don Pettit, has sat down for an interview following his recent 220-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), where he revealed an interesting effect of prolonged space residency.

Oldest living NASA astronaut reveals surprising effect of living in space 65165651

VIEW GALLERY - 2 IMAGES

Pettit spoke to reporters a week after touching back down on Earth on April 20, his 70th birthday, which is probably one of the most unique birthday presents a human can receive - plummeting back down to the surface of your home planet. Pettit has now racked up 590 days aboard the ISS, and reporters asked him about the impact space has on the body at the age of 70.

Pettit said that after prolonged exposure to the weightlessness of space, coming back down to Earth's gravity has always posed a "significant challenge," with the veteran NASA astronaut acknowledging he didn't look great in the photos/videos of him being carried away from the Soyuz spacecraft on April 20.

Read more: NASA astronaut shares incredible video of SpaceX Dragon capsule returning to Earth

However, being in space at the age of 70, everything is different. According to Pettit, the general struggles of age aren't even a problem in the weightlessness of space, with the NASA astronaut saying that he felt as if he was at the "peak of my game". But, "then you come back to Earth, and it's like, God, I can't even get up from the floor anymore. It's humbling."

"I love being in space," Pettit continued. "When you're sleeping, you're just floating, and your body, all those little aches and pains heal up. You feel like you're 30 years old again and free of pain, free of everything."

The aches and pains healing up, or perhaps more accurately, the gravity of Earth, causing pressure in those areas, being alleviated by the weightlessness of space, was perhaps an effect not many people would have considered. Does this mean if you have bad joint pain you should try to live out the rest of your days off planet? Maybe that is something future generations of humans make possible, and retirement homes/villages will eventually be in low-Earth orbit.