Why don't astronauts often talk about what they have seen in space?

For a long time now, humans have never stopped desiring to explore the vast universe. From ancient attempts to launch gunpowder into the sky to the rapid development of modern aerospace technology, the distance between us and space has become closer than ever.

However, when astronauts actually set foot on that unfamiliar territory, they often have unexpected emotions. Many lucky people who have ever set foot in outer space said that the feeling at that time was not happiness or excitement, but fear.

Fear of being in space

Traveling in space is like facing the abyss, and astronauts must always accept the challenge of life and death. Once they were destined to embark on this sacred mission, it also meant risking their lives.

Outer space is a scene that we cannot truly imagine until we have actually experienced it. After returning to the ground, many astronauts refused or could not accurately describe their feelings in space. The reason is because it is a strange feeling that cannot be explained in words , completely unlike any emotion they have ever experienced before.

After returning to the ground, many astronauts refused to describe their feelings while in space.

If there is an easy-to-understand description of what happens in outer space, most unanimously describe the silence and desolation there as "dark" and "terrifying."

Chinese astronaut Liu Yang frankly told an interview that the darkness of space is "bottomless and indescribable". Combined with the lonely scene of stars scattered around, this atmosphere truly makes people feel inexplicable fear.

Veteran astronaut Wang Yaping also said that the 'silent darkness' and 'faint light' in space made her feel an unprecedented terror. 'The feeling when walking in space is like falling into the abyss and not being able to get out on your own. There is nothing more terrifying than facing the vastness of space alone ,' said the first Chinese female astronaut to walk in space.

According to the description of Trac Chi Cuong - one of the three astronauts who took the Shenzhou 7 space shuttle to space in 2008, the dead silence and dark environment in space gave him the feeling of hypnotized. The feeling at that time was like being swallowed into the abyss. Even if he was wearing a seat belt, his whole body could not avoid the feeling of numbness and horror.

The emotions of being in space are completely unlike any emotions they have ever experienced before.

Cosmic panorama effect

In the process of human exploration of the vast universe, astronauts are the group of people with the most personal experiences about the mysteries of the universe. They were the first people to witness the entire Earth. Since humans have been able to view the earth from a greater distance, science has had the concept of the panoramic effect of the universe.

The concept of the "cosmic panorama effect" was first proposed by space philosopher Frank White in the 1980s. It refers to the powerful cognitive shift that occurs after humans view Earth at high altitude. macro scale with your own eyes.

While in space, you will deeply understand something that humans have struggled to understand for thousands of years: The Earth is a whole, everything is connected, and we are all a part inseparable from this whole.

Frank White had this experience because he was once at an altitude far enough to see the Earth.

'The initially vast land becomes small before our eyes. The mountains disappeared in the blink of an eye and were only the size of a thumb. The cities in which people lived became even more insignificant. At that time, the boundaries between countries and territories were erased. Everything in the world seems to have lost its original meaning' , the philosopher wrote.

 Not all astronauts have positive feelings about the panoramic view of Earth.

White said he had never seen such a horrifying scene and thought it was beyond human understanding.

He published the book "The Cosmic Panorama Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution" in 1987. In the book, he interviewed astronauts, scientists, people witnessed the entire panorama of the Earth with his own eyes.

American astronaut Sandra Magnus said: "Looking through the window, the atmosphere is very thin. This makes me realize that we are living on such a fragile ball of life."

Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard's emotions were more direct: 'When I stood on the moon and looked at the Earth for the first time, I cried'.

It can be seen that when astronauts see the whole panorama of Earth, they will definitely be moved and shocked. However, not all astronauts have positive feelings about the panoramic view of Earth . Chinese astronaut Liu Yang used the phrase 'bottomless darkness of space' to describe the vastness of the universe. The astronaut said he felt extremely lonely and scared .