Sunita Williams admits she cried in space, reveals worst part about using the washroom: ‘I wait till I’m ready to go…’

Sharing that she would talk herself through getting over the fear of doing it, Williams added, ” Number two, your body is not used to it, so you have to sort of get your body used to those muscles to push everything out the right way. I wait till I’m ready to go, and then I just go. I think that takes care of all the wishy-washy stuff about it. You have to commit. You have to just get in there and go.”

Dr Pooja Pillai, Consultant – Internal Medicine, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore, explained that doing basic chores in space becomes difficult because there is no gravity, which changes how the human body and everyday objects behave. “Simple actions like drinking water, eating food, or brushing teeth are challenging because liquids do not flow downward and instead float in the air as small droplets,” she said, adding that astronauts must use sealed packets, special straws, and sticky tools to prevent food and water from floating away.

When it comes to chores like bathing and using the toilet, the lack of gravity also affects the body. Dr Pillai elaborated that without gravity, sweat does not drip off the skin and can stick to the body, causing discomfort and skin irritation. Toilets in space use airflow instead of water or gravity, and learning to use them takes time and practice. Poor hygiene or difficulty cleaning can increase the risk of infections and skin problems, she told indianexpress.com.

According to her, cleaning is also harder because dust, crumbs, or waste do not fall to the floor and can float into the eyes, nose, or equipment. Even sleeping is different, as astronauts must strap themselves into sleeping bags to stop their bodies from drifting.

Williams also revealed that she cried in space. (PTI photo)

How India looks from space

During the podcast, she also shared what it was like to be stuck in space for 286 days, 400 kilometres above Earth, when the initial plan was to visit for just 10 days. Talking about how India looks like from above, Williams said, “Looking at India in the daytime, the colours are amazing. The Himalayas are absolutely amazing. You can see, when the rivers run off, how they interact. At night, India is pretty spectacular. The cities are lit up, and all those lights seem to be connected.”

Dealing with emotions

Williams also revealed that she cried in space. “I miss people, and I miss my dog. I cried for really good things that have happened to me, too. A friend of mine, her mom, was sick while we were in space. Just having those conversations with your friends and colleagues. When someone tells you their parent was sick, they are having some problems; that’s hard to deal with. So you are helping someone by lending a shoulder,” she added.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.