What re-entry actually feels like

Helen SharmanThe UK’s first astronaut I know what the Artemis II crew are about to experience. After days of drifting weightless, re-entry was for me a brutal return to normality. As our capsule hit the upper atmosphere, the gentle silence of orbit gave way to a rising roar and fierce vibration. The spacecraft began to shake, the G-forces built and I felt squashed into my seat. I remember trying to lift our re-entry manual and being shocked by how heavy it felt – even my little finger was hard w