Frank Rubio, who just like Sunita and Butch went for a 6-month space mission and had to stay for 371 days, said it takes two to three months to get yourself back to where you were pre-flight. In an interview with TIME, Rubio said, “I’m feeling pretty normal. At this point, I feel like I’m back to 90-95%. So lots of exercise, lots of testing, and science.”
He also spoke about how he craved salad in space and his first meal after reaching earth was a fresh plate of salad. “What most of us crave when we get back is fresh food, fresh fruits, vegetables. I kept saying that I wanted a salad,” he said. His return was delayed by six months because of a coolant leak on the spacecraft.
