'Russia can help ISS astronauts with rehabilitation'

Moscow:  Russia is ready to offer its medical expertise in the post-flight rehabilitation of astronauts from partner countries on the International Space Station (ISS)."We know how to rehabilitate astronauts [after a long duration space flight]. For Europeans and Americans, the problem is harder, they do not have this experience... And so we are ready to use everything we know to help, perhaps, to change the rehabilitation period of [foreign] astronauts," said Vladimir Popovkin, the head of Russian space agency Roscosomos Friday.[caption id="attachment_261504" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="The image has been used for representational purpose only. Reuters"][/caption]He explained that foreign astronauts usually fly home to their home countries directly after ending their space flight, which can sometimes cause problems for the astronauts."After such a long space flight, a normal flight home is a big problem. Maybe they should fly here [to Russia] for the fist two to three weeks for an extended rehabilitation period," he added.Alexei Krasnov, head of manned flight programmes at Roscosmos, said earlier that the Federal Space Agency proposed that NASA missions increase the length of stay on the ISS from six months to nine months and in the long term, to extend the stay in orbit to one year.IANS