They're still giving me my physical
They're still giving me my physical. Today the Japanese team spent a while taking my temperature. They want to check all of my internal thermometers and the gauge that determines how much helium is left in my dewar (which, in turn, will tell them how much longer I'll be cold enough to see x-rays).
The Goddard team is more interested in how I respond to changes in my environment. They're watching me very carefully to see what these changes will do, but not much can phase me after all of the tests they've been putting me through!
I think this all must be a lot like what astronauts go through before they can go into space. They have to go through lots of doctor appointments and tests, and then they experience simulations of what it'll be like to be in space. NASA sends the astronauts to all sorts of training (like underwater training, wilderness survival, and airplane rides in low-gravity) to see how they will do in different conditions. I'm doing the same stuff before they can send me to space – they've sent me to Japan and given me all sorts of tests and experiences!
