The team of Crew-9 composed by astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams and Nick Hague from NASA, and the Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, He made a safe landing on the coast of Florida on Tuesday (18) after nine months at the International Space Station (ISS).
In addition to changes in the body suffered by the long period in orbit, without gravity, the trip to space can bring changes in the perception of astronauts on planet Earth and humanity. This change is known as “overview effect “, Which, translating into Portuguese, means“Overall Vision Effect “.
The term “overview effect” was created by the writer and space philosopher Frank White in a book published in 1987. It refers to the deep connection with humanity that can be established by an astronaut when seeing Earth in space for the first time.
In interview with the podcast “Houston We have a podcast”From NASA, White explained that “the first thing most people think when you think about ‘overview effect’ is that there are no borders or limits on Earth.”
“For most astronauts, the feeling is that the land itself is an entire system, and we are just part of it. We need to think of ourselves as part of this organic system,” says White in the interview. “We can have different religions, we can have different policies. But in the end, we are connected.
According to Astronaut reports to White, seeing the earth against the universe’s “background” can be a difficult process to describe in words. “You are really seeing the universe for the first time in a way that no human saw,” he says. According to the philosopher, zero gravity can also have an effect on how these perceptions occur.
According to Canadian space agency (CSA)Astronauts report that after seeing the earth in space, it is possible to realize how fragile the planet seems to be. “They come home with a new mindset. Some channel this to activism or art,” the agency says in an article.
“You can imagine a NASA astronaut having lived on the moon for six months, and state with international partners and all, and seeing the land from afar, and having this perception of why we are fighting against each other?
“We are already seeing astronauts do this. They are talking about this change in consciousness, this change in worldview. And yet, at the same time, realizing that it is a beautiful planet, it is always changing.
However, the experience with “overview effect” can be experienced differently for each of the astronauts. Some may feel more connected with humanity and its loved ones. Others may feel “small” and have a negative impact on mental health, according to CSA.
For the agency, as space missions become more common and longer, the mental preparation of astronauts will be crucial.
This content was originally published in “Overview Effect”: going to space changes perception of planet and humanity on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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