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With the return of astronaut Chris Hadfield to Earth, the looming possibility of one-way trips to Mars and the release of the much-anticipated sequel Star Trek Into Darkness, space might feel closer than ever before. Still, even though Chris Hadfield and Star Trek may make space seem somewhat relatable, space still does seem pretty weird things to your body. 

You don't know which way is up or down.

We all know that gravity in space is nowhere like what it is on Earth. However, it is not just gravity that lets you know which way is up; your inner ear is hugely important in dictating your sense of direction. In space, you won't know at first, leading to a sense of space sickness that is similar to motion sickness on Earth. Fortunately, that fades away with time.

You might have to use the restroom a lot.

Because of the distribution of body fluids, many astronauts report that they feel like they have a cold. They also report that their faces become a bit puffy. Often, the body reacts to the increase in fluid by flushing it out in a familiar way: through the kidneys. Once that fluid is removed from the body, though, most space voyagers feel fine.

You have no clue what time it is.

Ever suffered from jet lag? When you are traveling around the Earth, most of the time astronauts stick to Greenwich Mean Time, but can sometimes switch to the time zones in Houston or Moscow for certain tasks. In addition, astronauts orbit the Earth every 90 minutes, which means that they see the sun rise and set every 90 minutes. As a result, astronauts' Circadian rhythms could be off without the use of window covers, which would cause difficulties with sleeping and eating.

You lose bone mass.

The difference in gravity causes loss of calcium to the bones. When astronauts are in space and return to Earth, they must continue to perform exercises that strengthen their bones. It has also been reported that astronauts lose a bit of their height in space, though that is quickly regained once on Earth again.

Your muscles weaken.

Exercises and proper nutrition help to combat this, but again, all astronauts need to perform exercises once back on Earth to regain muscle strength.

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