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Photos The Real Rescue Crews Arrive
Q: When you left did they give you a hug, or wave or clap? PW: When the SAR guys came in, they of course cordoned off the area and took us to the helicopter, so there wasn't that kind of opportunity. I don't know if they understood the significance of who we were or anything, and that's O.K. Q: How long did it take for the rescue crews to come? PW: I don't know exactly, but it seemed to me that after about an hour after landing, the SAR forces arrived. After we'd landed and no rescue forces being there, we did what we were supposed to do, which is Yuri got the GPS and sat phone (satellite telephone) out and told them where we were. Q: Did you guys feel like you needed medical help right then? PW: I was having neuro-vestibular problems. I was not feeling great. My primary concern at that point was not puking. But I was O.K. There was nothing wrong with me. It was completely expected based on my previous flight. I didn't feel like I needed any particular type of medical assistance, just assistance remembering what it was like to be on Earth. Q: How confident do you feel that the Russian space program will get to the bottom of what happened? PW: I think they'll get to the bottom of it. They obviously aren't looking to kill any of their crewmembers either. Q: Is there anything that's surprised you this time about coming back that you didn't experience after your last long-duration flight? PW: I was hoping I'd recover more quickly, and for the most part it hasn't been dramatically different than last time -- probably because it has been five years between flights, but I was still hoping for faster. Q: You've mentioned that you were really looking forward to getting your hands in the dirt in your garden. Have you had a chance to do that yet? PW : I got back on Saturday. I haven't been doing any digging yet, but I have checked out all my flowers to see which ones are blooming. Q: How are you feeling now? PW: I feel pretty good. One of the common things you hear from long-duration fliers is that it hurts to sit down for a while because you're not used to sitting anymore. I still feel that. Last time it lasted about three weeks. Related Links: Irene Klotz's blog: Free Space |
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