German astronaut Matthias Maurer is still recovering from his trip into space.

Speaking from the Farnborough International Airshow in July – two months after his return to Earth following a six-month stint on the International Space Station – Maurer said he was still adapting to life back on his home planet.

“The first few days are the hardest ones when you need to learn how to walk in a straight line,” he said.

“In general, it takes as long as you’ve been in space to recover. So for me, it’s still three or four months to go.”

Cosmic Kiss

In December 2020, Maurer was assigned to his first International Space Station mission known as “Cosmic Kiss”, which was launched from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of SpaceX Crew-3 on 11 November 2021.

Asked what advice he would give to young people interested in space, he said: “If you have a dream, dream it because only if you have a dream, you can reach and fulfil your dream. And if you can dream it, you can also do it.”

He added: “Space is really inspiring and it’s fascinating to talk about space and what’s upcoming, and seeing all the kids being as fascinated as I am. It’s the best that I could hope for and see.”
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