The astronaut told ushe didnt look out the windowfor eight and a half minutesas the rocket launched himbeyond our atmosphere.Terrifying things happenedground vanished, boostersexploded, day becamenightand he did not look.He was focusing,he said, on his job.

He was up therea long time. He learnedto sleep suspended. He learnedhow the sunrise lookswhen you watch it every morningfrom the soft dark mouthof space. Many things,he told us, were differentthan hed once expected.Theres no space ice cream,he said. Thats a big hoax.His vision blurred.His body became a study:blood, appetite, cognitive function.

He took many pictures.All of them were beautiful.None of them showedwhat it was like to float.

When the astronaut returnedto earth, more tests were run.Scientists discovered thatseven percent of his geneshad changed in space.He left the planetas himself. He came backas himself, rearranged.

See the article here:

How Becoming a Mother Is Like Space Travel - The Nation