Breaking News on CNN. Shuttle astronaut collapsed twice

[Midlodemocrat]

at welcome home ceremony.

http://www.cnn.com/

[FSogol]

1. Probably saw a news report that *'s approval ratings were on the rise.

Kidding aside, hope he/she is ok.

[XNASA]

2. People in Houston collapse all the time.

There's something in the air.

[AnneD]

6. Yeah...

It's called humidity. We just don't fry eggs on the sidewalk-we steam dumplings too.:smoke:

[XNASA]

9. I was thinkin' more like it's Pasadena/Texas City in the air.

As a former Houstonian, I know of what I speak.

[AnneD]

19. It would take a decent wind in the right direction....

and it's not happening today. Yeah, I'm living in it now.

The saying is...the air is greener in Pasadenner. The air is not so bad in Clear Lake. We have been having a suprisingly good summer and are even starting to experience a bit of cool in the mornings (70's high 60's). But really, it is the humidity that kills ya on a daily basis. Dumplings anyone?

[XNASA]

31. I lived in El Lago for a time.

From '95 to '01. I can empathize.

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. Stinkadena is how my husband refers to Pasadena, Tx.

[salvorhardin]

3. Here's the AP story

I'm going to break DU rules and post the entirety of the story since it's extremely short.

Astronaut Collapses During Ceremony

HOUSTON (AP) -- An astronaut from the space shuttle Atlantis collapsed twice Friday during a welcome home ceremony, a wobbly return that officials attributed to the adjustment from 12 days at zero gravity.

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper left the hangar at Ellington Field through a side door but was not taken to a hospital, officials said.

Piper, fifth of the six astronauts to speak, appeared to be confused before her legs buckled during her address. NASA officials and crew members braced her and lowered her to the ground. She stood up again, and the crowd applauded.

"Boy, if that's not a little embarrassing," she said.

After speaking for another half-minute or so, she again appeared confused and gripped the podium. Crew members stepped to her side and lowered her to the floor.

The Atlantis crew returned Thursday after performing the first construction work on the international space station since the Columbia disaster 3 1/2 years ago.

They performed three grueling spacewalks to hook up a 17 1/2-ton addition, which included a giant set of electricity-producing solar panels.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ASTRONAUT_COLLAPSES?SITE=SCCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

I should say that this is probably not anything to be alarmed about.

[northernsoul]

5. Hope she's okay

I have a lot of respect for anyone who is brave enough to undertake these missions, but Heidemarie is from Saint Paul to boot!

[tabasco]

10. Me too.

Sometimes just standing for long periods causes people to pass out.

[Bridget Burke]

7. Cloudy & windy in Houston today. "92 degrees, feels like 101"

After 12 days in Zero G, I can't blame her.

I prescribe a couch in an air conditioned room & a large glass of iced tea.

[salvorhardin]

12. Hah! Yes, that's likely exactly what she needs!

NASA's PR schedule is probably worse than the actual mission.

[AnneD]

21. And enough sugar in the tea

to form a small mountain before you stir it up. It's not tea til you see a mountain.

[RareLubbockDem]

14. Maybe it was her name badge?

All those letters could be heavy after being weightless.
Joking (but man, that's a long name)--I really hope she's OK. They're really brave and admirable.

[Sequoia]

29. Maybe she's going ot have a baby.

[longship]

4. Maybe she unintentionally brought back a "friend" from space.

Like, the Andromeda Strain?

[shain from kane]

8. Maybe she's pregnant. n/t

[lse7581011]

23. First Thing I Thought Of

but they wouldn't let her fly - would they?

[shain from kane]

26. Would she have morning sickness (?) at this stage if she got

pregnant while she was in space, or after the final physical readings before the launch?

[LeftyMom]

24. Maybe it's not human

::cue bad sci fi organ music::

[shain from kane]

27. See my reply #18. Actually, it was not that terribly bad as a movie.

[daleo]

13. Mysterious objects floating around the shuttle/station

A sick astronaut...it has the makings of an X-Files episode anyway.

[beyond_the_pale]

16. Andromeda Strain?

Didn't they use to quarantine these guys? Something to think about.

[shain from kane]

18. Here's another possibility, except the astronaut was a male.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138304/

[NOLADEM]

11. Not uncommon

many astronauts have trouble with blood pressure when standing upon returning from weightlessness. She is most likely suffering from this, I would imagine.

Before they could exercise in space a little, many would have leg muscles so atrophied they would have to be dragged from the craft upon return.

[Lindacooks]

33. Yep, you're right.

I heard on the news that astronaut's blood volume decreases by 10-14% when in space; takes a couple of days for it to expand again. That's what caused her fainting spells.

[thecrow]

15. A stroke, perhaps?

She looked confused before she collapsed both times...

[sofa king]

28. Maybe just gravity.

She'd had twelve days off from it and then was expected to stand around for some boring ceremony in a hot hangar. If she locked her legs to brace herself, that's an invitation for her already anemic blood to pool in her legs, inviting parade-faint.

[shain from kane]

17. "Houston, we have a problem." n/t

[truthisfreedom]

22. how upsetting. i hope this doesn't affect her career at all.

[shireen]

25. give the astronauts a break!

NASA should not be parading them in front of cameras right after return to Earth. It takes time for the body to adjust from microgravity to 1G. Geez ... what's the rush. Give them a couple of days to recover!

[BrightKnight]

30. She appears to be very fit.

I am sure that she is in top physical condition. Astronauts are exceptional people doing super human jobs. She does not have anything to be embarrassed about.

[MilesColtrane]

32. Closeup of the "floating debris" revealed an alien seed pod.

They know about BushCo's™ intentions towards Iran and are starting the invasion to prevent nuclear annihilation.