Astronauts offer quarantine advice

Recently people all over the world have had to learn how to live a bit differently than usual. At the time of self-isolation, astonauts have started to share their advice: they are experts of social distancing due to their job, which includes being isolated in space as well as on Earth before take-off.

Below is a list of videos, podcasts and articles where astronauts have compared the current quarantine to the ones they have experienced before, as well as shared advice for the unusual situation. The main recommendations astronauts give are:

1. create a versatile schedule and set goals – this helps to normalize the abnormal and get through the day quicker. Besides that, it helps to keep the spirit up and create a feeling of control;
2. pick up hobbies – work out, listen to music, read a book or learn how to play the guitar. You should ask yourself what the things you have not had the time to do before are;
3. stay in contact with your loved ones – technology nowadays enables to communicate with your friends and family despite the distance;
4. stay at home.

Space Connects Us – video conference with 13 extraordinary guests

On March 26, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Asteroid Day team organized an online event called Space Connects Us, where astronauts, researchers and artists gave advice on coping with being in quarantine. Astronauts Tom Jones, Tim Peake and Nicole Scott, as well as The Big Bang Theory star neuroscientist Mayim Bialik are only a few of the names included in the extraordinary guest list.

Space Connects Us was divided into five sections based on the language. The English section included 13 guests.

Watch the video conference (English section from 4.58)
Read more

Podcast with the man who spent a year in space

Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a podcast called Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction on CNN Audio. In the beginning of April, his guest was astronaut Scott Kelly who spent an entire year at the International Space Station (ISS). The podcast also includes clips from an interview done in 2016 when Kelly was still in space.

Listen to the podcast (scroll down on page for Kelly's podcast)
Read the transcription of the podcast

Kelly's experience has also been made into a docmentary called A Year in Space, which can be watched on Netflix. Besides that, the astronaut has shared his experience in the form of books.

Optimistic tweets

Space.com, a site dedicated to space news, has gathered tweets that astronauts have made during the virus. Among others, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet's tweet is highlighed. Pesquet made a humorous video about how an astronaut feels during being quarantined at home.

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, on the other hand, shared a thread by ESA Science, which lists activities that are both educational and help to spend time. ESASky, for example, is made for observing the sky. The image of the sky is a result of what different telescopes and mission instruments have captured during time.

See Pesquet's video with English subtitles (on Instagram)
Discover ESASky
Read the article and see all tweets

Quarantine advice by the Singing Astronaut

The Canadian news channel CTV has asked Canadian astronauts to share tips on making the most of being isolated at home. One of the advisors is Chris Hadfield, who most people know as the Singing Astronaut. Hadfield has also uploaded a video on his personal YouTube channel. In the video, he lists four steps to follow to handle being quarantined in the best way possible:

1. know the actual risk,
2. choose goals,
3. map the constraints,
4. act.

Watch Hadfield's video
Read the article

Tips by the most experienced U.S. astronaut

The U.S. news channel CBS interviewd Peggy Whitson, the American who has spent the most time in space – she was at the ISS for 665 days. Among other things, Whitson gives advice to the ones isolated alone.

Watch the video and read the article