Loneliness in Space

When I began looking into this topic in my research about the psychological component to a mission, I immediately thought back to all the times I've gone to overnight camps in the summer. I would never be gone for more than a week, but somehow even on my roughest day, whether it was getting stung by a wasp, sunburning to a crisp apple red, being chosen last for a team, my lip swelling up from an ant bite, or having my bag raided by a raccoon, a letter from home seemed to make everything right. Even among endless lists of fun activities and the beautiful outdoors, if I didn't have a good friend with me it could be devastatingly lonely. How much more alone must the brave men and women who venture into the literal unknown feel? 

Like my parents did with me, writing letters and communicating frequently seem to be the only ways to allay the pains of homesickness. Here is an excerpt from an interview with astronaut John Blaha about awaiting the docking of a vessel while on his stay on the Mir aboard the ISS:

"Twenty-four hours after undocking the old Progress vessel, Blaha watched through a window as the new Progress approached Mir. 

"It was a shining star rising towards us at great speed from beneath the horizon. This was an incredible sight. There we were approaching the terminator on planet Earth, and this 'beaming' shining star was roaring towards us." 

When Progress finally docked with Mir and the hatch could be opened, the crew was scheduled to go to bed a half-hour later. "Of course, we stayed up a few extra minutes as we searched for our crew packages," Blaha wrote. "Once we found our packages, it was like Christmas and your birthday all rolled together when you were five years old. We really had a lot of fun reading mail, laughing, opening presents, eating fresh tomatoes, cheese, etc. It was an experience I will always remember." "

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