last update  23/04/2006 13:32:10

 

THE FOLLOWING TOPICS ABOUT THE LIFE OF ASTRONAUTS IN SPACESHIP ARE JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA ABOUT THE LIFE. THIS IS NOT A LESSON. IT IS A TEXT ONLY:

- DO THEY HAVE FUN?

- HOW DO THEY PRACTICE?

 

 

Beds and Sleeping

 

While in a weightless state, the body cannot differentiate between "up" and "down," making it impossible to lie down. Astronauts can thus sleep in any sort of position regardless of where they are. But if the astronauts were allowed to float freely, they could damage the shuttle, so they sleep on four-story bunks in the ship's mid-deck.
As a shuttle crew usually comprises five to seven members, they take turns sleeping. When there is a shortage of beds the astronauts will use a sleeping bag attached to a shuttle wall, set up a hammock in the cockpit and sleep there

Space shuttle beds are equipped with a sleeping bag. The astronaut gets into the bag and straps their body to it in three different places, which allows them to sleep lying down as they would on Earth. For astronauts unable to sleep with the noise of the shuttle's machinery, NASA also provides eye shades and ear plugs. Astronauts are allocated eight hours daily for sleep, but if work takes longer than expected, or the astronaut stares out at space, it often eats into their sleeping time and the average number of sleeping hours is probably closer to six.

 Washing

Washing is hard when weightless because water can't be used

Water doesn't flow in a weightless environment, so washing hands is not as simple as on Earth where all that's needed is a turn of the tap. Because of this, space shuttles do not have sinks. When astronauts want to clean themselves, they must dab their bodies with towels soaked with alcohol or detergent.
It's the same when cleaning teeth. Although tooth powder makes the cleaning process the same as that on Earth, it's not possible for the astronauts to wash their mouths out or gargle as they would back home. They can either swallow the toothpaste or wipe it away with a towel.

 

Shuttles don't have showers or baths so astronauts have to clean their bodies with towels and use dry shampoo

How do astronauts clean themselves on shuttles? Firstly, when washing their hair they must use a dry shampoo so that bubbles don't fly throughout the craft. They must then clean off the shampoo from their hair using a dry towel.
The only way the astronauts can clean their bodies is to wipe themselves with towels soaked in alcohol or detergent. At the moment, even the longest space shuttle mission is about two weeks so the astronauts have managed to get by using these methods.

 

Showers will be necessary on the international space station
where many people will stay for a long time

NASA made a shower for the Skylab space station mission in 1974. Astronauts would wear goggles when they entered the 90-centimeter wide, circular shower and wash their bodies directly with its hose. Any excess water was sucked away by a fan. Once they had finished washing, the astronauts had to stand in the shower for another hour or so as they waited for the water droplets covering their bodies to be sucked away in what could hardly be called comfortable conditions.
On the Russian space station Mir, there is a shower where hot water pours down from an outlet in the roof. On the planned International Space Station, there would certainly be a shower installed as the astronauts will be on long-term stays.

Toilets

Shuttles are equipped with vacuum toilets that work a little like a vacuum cleaner

Water cannot be used in the weightless environment of space so, like wash basins, toilets on the space shuttle can't use water. In a corner of the shuttle's mid-deck there is a toilet for use by both men and women. Although it looks like any other toilet used on Earth, it is a little different.
To make sure what goes into the toilet doesn't come out, it is sucked away and then vacuum-dried. The system is a little different depending on whether the astronaut urinates or defecates. When urinating, the waste is sucked away in a hose. But when defecating, the toilet is used the same way as a normal toilet and the astronaut pulls a lever to have the waste sucked away.

 

In the past, astronauts had to use bags instead of toilets and they needed considerable toilet training

Space Shuttle toilets are said to be a little difficult to use and require some practice. But even so, this is a big improvement on the past. For the first astronauts, whose stays in space were all short-term, the astronauts all wore diapers and their waste was collected in bags and taken back to Earth. Most astronauts were more than a little unhappy with this situation.
Unlike on Earth, pushing alone does not allow the astronauts to defecate. Even when they do manage to get something out in a weightless environment, it often flies around the ship, gets stuck on bodies and other parts of the shuttle, or simply floats, meaning that astronauts need to have quite a bit of training before they are capable of using shuttle toilets.
But even now, during take-off, re-entry or during a space walk, astronauts must wear pressurized suits and can't use the toilet, meaning they must wear either diapers or have a bag to catch their waste.

Food

Recently astronauts have been able to eat vacuum-sealed food or fresh bread, just like they could on Earth

In the past astronauts would eat food from a tube to avoid carrying heavy supplies that took up valuable space in their craft. But the food was tasteless and eating through a tube often left astronauts feeling unsatisfied. Though there was consideration shown for nutritional balance or value, "space food" was considerably different to that eaten on Earth. For the astronauts toughing it on a difficult space mission, eating was not always a pleasant experience.
However, recently astronauts have been provided with freeze-dried and vaccum-packed foods that can be eaten if mixed with water, and their diets resemble closely what they would be on Earth.

Astronauts can choose the foods they'd like to eat while on a mission from over 250 different varieties

The types of foods available for astronauts to eat in space have gradually increased in the years since the start of the Apollo Project in the 1960s. Now, there are 250 different varieties of foods to choose from. The categories of foods available for astronauts are: 1) Freeze-dried foods 2) Retort foods 3) Dried fruit 4) Normal foods (bread, fruit, cookies) 5) Drinks, such as canned juices or coffee.
Astronauts share food among themselves and make up their own menus for their missions based on nutritional value and personal taste.

With the international space station soon to materialize, eating in space will be even better

Food on the space shuttle is prepared in a galley on the mid-deck. It's in the galley that water is added to freeze-dried foods or other foods are heated in an oven, if necessary. Like on Earth, food is eaten with knives, forks, chopsticks or spoons and retort food is opened with scissors and a tray fixed to a body is used instead of a table.
Drinks are taken from a bottle and drank with a straw to prevent the liquids from floating freely throughout the ship and possibly causing damage.
About 300 varieties of food are expected to be available for use on the International Space Station, which is sure to make eating in space more enjoyable than ever before.

Space Suits

Space Suits are highly-functional outfits designed to cope with vacuums and weightless environments

In a weightless environment there is no air, therefore making space a vacuum with no air pressure. Space suits protect the human body, which could not function otherwise in this type of environment. But in the vacuum of space, there are times when astronauts must leave their ship. Space suits are the life-saving outfits designed to protect astronauts from the vacuum, weightlessness and radiation they are hit with in space when they leave their ship.

Space Suits maintain internal air pressure at a rate of 0.3 and allow for easy maneuverability

There are a number of points that must be considered when making space suits. The suits must maintain air pressure in a gaseous environment; supply oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide; control temperature; allow for mobility; and, shield the wearer from radioactive waves.
As astronauts must have a maintained air pressure in a gaseous environment, the suit ensures a steady supply of pure oxygen is supplied to its wearer as well as making sure the air pressure remains at a stable rate of 0.3. The suit also expels any carbon dioxide inside it. The astronaut also fills the suit's cooling system with water to allow for the suit to maintain a comfortable temperature for its wearer.
While maintaining suitable conditions, the space suit also allows the astronaut to preserve energy as well as permits them sufficient mobility to perform the tasks they have been sent into space to carry out.

Future Space Suits

Enormous amounts of technology have been poured into the highly functional space suits, so that a space suit is expensive.
However, by the time the International Space Station would be in operation next century, space suits are expected to be cheaper and even more functional than those currently being used. In addition, by that time, space suits are expected to be able to provide astronauts with an environment similar to that in which they live on Earth.

SUITING UP
PUT ON THE BOOT SOULS- ADJUST STRAPS SO HEEL DOES NOT LIFT OFF THE SOLE AND WALK AROUND UNTIL YOU GET USED TO WALKING WITH THEM
UNZIP BACK PACK COVER ZIPPERS AND INSERT BATTERY (IT WILL ONLY GO IN ONE WAY)
1. PUT ON THE PANTS, THERE IS A 3" ADJUSTMENT WHERE THE PANTS JOIN THE LEGS TO ACCOMODATE DIFFERENT HEIGHT
2. PUT ON BOOT SOLES, WEARING YOUR ATHELETIC SHOES INSIDE OF THEM, ADJUST STRAPS SO HEEL DOES NOT LIFT OFF THE SOLE.
3. ATTACH BOOT TOPS AROUND THE SOLE AND UP THE OUTSIDE.
4. PULL PANT BOTTOM DOWN AND ATTACH WITH THE VELCRO TO THE BOOT TOPS.
5. PUT 1 OR 2 FOAM SQUARES ON TOP OF SHOULDERS AND ADJUST SUSPENDERS.
WITH HELP PUT ARMS UP, LOWER UPPER TORSO DOWN, GUIDING YOUR ARMS
THROUGH THE ARMHOLES UNTIL THE HUT RESTS ON YOUR SHOULDERS. PUT
MORE FOAM IN IF NEEDED. (ALL SHOULDERS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL)
6. PUT HELMET ON, LINE UP PIN IN BACK, TWIST TO RIGHT UNTIL HELMET LOCKS.
7. TURN ON THE FAN SWITCH ON THE CHEST PACK MARKED FAN, (FULLY CHARGED
BATTERY WILL LAST ABOUT 7 HOURS)
8. LOWER GOLD VISOR PUT ON YOUR GLOVES AND THATS WHEN THE MAGIC STARTS.
9. BE PREPARED TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED AND SHAKE A LOT OF HANDS.

 

Space fun

Living in space is not just all work and no play. Astronauts like to have fun, too. If you're going to work on the space shuttle for a week or two, it is certainly okay to look out the window, play with your food or tease your crewmates once in awhile. If you're staying on the International Space Station for a few months, fun is an essential ingredient to the quality of life.

Astronauts need a break from their busy schedules when they are orbiting Earth. Days or even months of straight work is certain to cause stress among space workers. That is why flight planners on Earth schedule time during each day so astronauts can relax, exercise and have some fun. Shuttle and station crewmembers even manage to have fun while working. Experiments in space sometimes involve ordinary toys and how microgravity affects them.

A popular pastime while orbiting the Earth is simply looking out the window. Astronauts onboard the space shuttle can look out the cockpit windows and watch the Earth below or the deep blackness of space. Inside the International Space Station, crewmembers have numerous windows they can look out. Astronauts often comment on their fascination and awe as they look at the Earth spin beneath them with its multiple shades and textures. Sunsets and sunrises are also very spectacular, occurring every 45 minutes above the Earth's atmosphere.

Onboard the space station, crewmembers have many opportunities to relax and play. Like most people who work full time, they get weekends off. On any given day, crewmembers can watch movies, read books, play cards and talk to their families. They have an exercise bike, a treadmill and various other equipment to help keep their bodies in shape. During their off time, they certainly take time out to play games and generally have a good time.

Astronaut Practice

Traveling in space can cause "Space Sickness,"
AN ILLNESS SIMILAR TO CAR SICKNESS

Some astronauts become ill while traveling in space, their ailment being similar to car sickness. This illness is called space sickness. Although space sickness gets better within a few days, it causes headaches, lethargy and sleepiness. After some time, the face becomes pale, nausea sets in and, in really bad cases, some may vomit severely. Space sickness can suddenly strike, causing some astronauts to vomit without any prior warning.

During weightlessness, astronauts can trust only their eyes

Researchers believe that weightlessness causes some astronauts to lose their sense of what is "up" and what is "down."
While in the 1-G environment of Earth, the eyes, the inner ear and other body parts, such as muscles, bones or skin, provide the body with the information it needs to cope adequately and maintain itself in the area it is in. But in a weightless environment, the information that reaches the ears, muscles and skin is not stable and the only organ that functions properly in terms of receiving information is the eyes. Astronauts lose their sense of knowing exactly where they are.

 

With a loss of gravity, bodily fluids rise up and astronauts develop a "Moonface"

Numerous effects hit the body when it travels into space. One of these effects occurs when fluids in the body rise up when entering a weightless environment. On Earth, gravitational pull ensures bodily fluids always travel in a downward direction. But in a weightless environment, this power is lost and fluids rise up into the head. At these times, astronauts faces appear more swollen than when on Earth and they develop "moonfaces." At the same time, as all the bodily fluids rise up to make the face appear fatter, astronauts' legs also become thinner.

 

Astronauts need to exercise so there's no ill effects when they return to Earth

After a few days in space the blood that had shifted toward the upper body adjusts itself to the same levels as on Earth. Human bodies adjust themselves according to the environment they find themselves in and in space the body automatically reduces the amount of blood it contains. While in space this is fine for the astronauts, but when they return to Earth's gravitational environment there is less blood in their brains, which occasionally causing some to faint.
In a weightless environment there is no need to stand up and walk so the legs become weaker. To combat this, astronauts regularly get on an exercise bike while in space so that they will have less trouble readjusting to life on Earth when they return.

TRASH MANAGEMENT

Trash management operations include routine stowage and daily collection of wet and dry trash, such as expended wipes, tissues and food containers. Wet trash includes all items that could offgas. The equipment available for trash management includes trash bags, trash bag liners, wet trash containers and the stowable wet trash vent hose.

Three trash bags are located in the crew compartment. Each bag contains a disposable trash bag liner. Two bags are designated for dry trash and one for wet trash. At a scheduled time each day, the trash bag liner for dry trash is removed from its trash bag. The liner is closed with a strip of Velcro and stowed in an empty locker.

When more than 8 cubic feet of wet trash is expected, the trash bag liners for wet trash are removed at a scheduled time each day and placed in a wet trash container. The container is then closed with a zipper and the unit is stowed. If expansion due to offgassing is evident, the container is connected to a vent in the waste management system for overboard venting of the gas.

 

THE END