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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| ISS: Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai worried by growth spurt | ISS: Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai worried by growth spurt |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Japanese astronaut who is living on the International Space Station says he has grown 9cm (3.5in) since arriving there just over three weeks ago. | A Japanese astronaut who is living on the International Space Station says he has grown 9cm (3.5in) since arriving there just over three weeks ago. |
| Norishige Kanai wrote on social media he was worried he would not fit into the seat of the Russian Soyuz vehicle that is due to bring him home in June. | Norishige Kanai wrote on social media he was worried he would not fit into the seat of the Russian Soyuz vehicle that is due to bring him home in June. |
| Astronauts grow an average of between two and five centimetres in space. | Astronauts grow an average of between two and five centimetres in space. |
| This is because of the absence of gravity which allows the vertebrae in their spines to spread apart. | This is because of the absence of gravity which allows the vertebrae in their spines to spread apart. |
| Mr Kanai tweeted: "Good morning, everybody. I have a major announcement today. We had our bodies measured after reaching space, and wow, wow, wow, I had actually grown by as much as 9cm! | Mr Kanai tweeted: "Good morning, everybody. I have a major announcement today. We had our bodies measured after reaching space, and wow, wow, wow, I had actually grown by as much as 9cm! |
| "I grew like some plant in just three weeks. Nothing like this since high school. I'm a bit worried whether I'll fit in the Soyuz seat when I go back." | "I grew like some plant in just three weeks. Nothing like this since high school. I'm a bit worried whether I'll fit in the Soyuz seat when I go back." |
| The Soyuz spacecraft which takes the astronauts from and to Earth has a limit on seating height. If crew members become too tall, it could pose a problem. | The Soyuz spacecraft which takes the astronauts from and to Earth has a limit on seating height. If crew members become too tall, it could pose a problem. |
| Astronauts can grow while in space and return to a normal height when they go back to Earth. | Astronauts can grow while in space and return to a normal height when they go back to Earth. |
| "Nine centimetres is a lot, but it is possible, knowing that every human body is different," Libby Jackson of the UK Space Agency told BBC News. | |
| "You do get taller in space as your spine drifts apart, usually by about two to five centimetres. | "You do get taller in space as your spine drifts apart, usually by about two to five centimetres. |
| "There's a range of growth for different people, and everybody responds differently." | "There's a range of growth for different people, and everybody responds differently." |
| This is the first space mission for the Japanese astronaut who was previously a diving medical officer with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. | This is the first space mission for the Japanese astronaut who was previously a diving medical officer with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. |