Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk says he feels like an old hand, after orbiting the Earth aboard the International Space Station for more than three months.
"When I launched, I wasn't exactly sure what six months in space would be like. After 100 days of spaceflight experience, I now feel like a veteran and am confident that I will do well during the remaining months," he wrote in a statement on Friday. "I've grown accustomed to the Station's sounds, smells and rhythm of life."
But Thirsk said he misses spending time with his three children and his wife. He turned 56 on Aug. 17 while orbiting the planet.
He is scheduled to remain on the space station for a total of six months. During a news conference with the Canadian Space Agency, Thirsk said touching down on Nov. 23 is "going to be marvelous."
"Six months is a long time to be separated from my family and everything familiar on Earth," he wrote.
The B.C. native has travelled more than 70 million kilometers since he arrived on the space station in May.
The effects of zero gravity have changed his appearance slightly since then, he wrote. His face has grown more round, his legs more thin and the wrinkles around his eyes and forehead less pronounced.
"My hair rises up off my head and my height has increased by four centimeters," Thirsk wrote.
To counter such changes, he exercises two hours a day. He wears a harness that mimics his actual weight on earth while running on the station's treadmill.
When it comes to personal cleanliness, Thirsk said he and his 12 crew mates have to wipe themselves down with a cloth, as there's no shower on the station. Because there's nowhere to spit, they usually swallow toothpaste after brushing.
He also wrote that losing things in space is surprisingly easy.
"Velcro, clips and duct tape are used to hold items down. Nevertheless, the loss of personal items and tools is a daily occurrence. They just seem to float away when we're not looking."
The Canadian Space Agency's mission manager said he was surprised that Thirsk has adapted to life in space so well.
"He's very busy, but happy to be busy and just looks like he's having a great time up there," Ed Tabarah said. "He's had a smile ever since he got there, I think the doctors have termed it 'smilitis'."
Thirsk spends much of his spare time gazing out the window, he wrote.
"I am always excited to see my homeland, Canada, but from above one is able to see most of our planet as well in a single day. My appreciation for the landscape, colour and texture of every country has created a lasting mosaic in my mind."
Thirsk and five other astronauts are on board the space station for an extended stay. Seven others are members of the space shuttle Discovery mission, which is scheduled to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 10.
With files from The Canadian Press
